Naruto: Master of Lightning V2
by BlackCrow02
Summary: In her dying moments Kushina leaves him with a magnificent seal that grants him abilites that could be considered blood line limits. Witness Naruto take the shinobi world by storm. Wielding sharingan eyes and absolute control over lightning he will make sure he changes the world or die trying. Smart Naruto. Dark Naruto. Enjoy!
1. Desire for Power

**A/N: Welcome old and new fans. If you come from Master of Lightning I thank you for giving it a chance. For you old readers I will warn you that some parts might be very similar but I promise it will change in the coming chapters. If you are new then welcome and enjoy.**

**Desire For Power**

**(Naruto's apartment complex)**

Bzzzzzz, an ear wrenching noise erupted from the alarm clock ringing for what seemed like an eternity until finally a very annoyed young boy desperately reached over. He struggled to find the snooze button to give some much needed relief to his growing headache from getting any worse. The young boy finally managed to pound his alarm clock until the thing finally stopped from the force. He tiredly forced his small body upwards stretching his joints and yawning the entire way. His blue eyes drifted towards the smashed alarm clock and frowned. "Stupid clock, can you possibly get any more annoying ringing and ringing and even more ringing like you have nothing better to do with your time! After a couple silent moments passed him the boy finally shook his head with a smile plastered on his mouth. "Wait a minute. Ringing is the only thing you can do!

The boy scratched the back of his head laughing at himself for his stupidity. He quickly reached into his bed stand and grabbed another alarm clock, placing it on top of it. He turned his brand new alarm clock to himself and noticed it read 7:00 AM. He slowly put the alarm clock back on top of his nightstand and pulled himself out of the bed. He winced at the coldness of the wooden floor as he headed to the shower since today was a very important day in his young life. Not really but he'd like to think so anyways, I mean why not right. You've got to have something to look forward to even though you really don't and are only lying to yourself.

He grumbled in annoyance, "Isn't that what normal people do anyways? At least he waned to believe that. He forced himself towards the bathroom to begin his very monotone day. It only took him a couple minutes to finish as he came out with a red towel wrapped around his thin waist. He went to his closet to put on his favorite clothing in the entire world. Not really but what right did he have to complain since the clothing was extremely cheap and practical in the sense that it contained many pockets letting him carry extra equipment that others wouldn't have.

He prayed to Kami that he would be finally admitted into the academy next year like the old man had promised. He mentioned he would try and get him with the new class that was also entering in the coming months. He at least had the academy to look forward to if nothing else right. Shrugging his shoulders he finished putting on his signature jumpsuit and made sure that it didn't have any sort of dirt or stains that would only bring him even more unwanted attention from the villagers. Why he was so popular with the Konoha villagers was beyond him. One thing he did know was that it must have been something pretty bad if all the glares were any indication. In time like with anything he had gotten used to them by now. If he were honest with himself he would never get used to them but that was a deep secret.

He knew that it would be worse if it was actual physical pain instead of words. He prayed it did not come to violence since he had no means of defending himself. He had absolutely no training experience at all which is why he was looking forward to attending the academy in hopes that they will teach him some cool moves to defend himself with. He bitterly smiled at the idea, "Wouldn't that be nice. Being able to defend yourself from getting an ass whooping."

Shaking his head from those thoughts he made sure that no foreign stains were on his clothes. He had only been able to wash a couple of pairs during the incident last night in the Laundry Mat. He most certainly did not want to relive that moment again. Well, at least not the hitting part that's for sure.

_Flashback..._

**(Konoha Laundry Mat)**

Naruto grumbled as he washed his dirty clothing clearly not enjoying the experience whatsoever. "Stupid clothes getting dirty all the damn time. Couldn't they invent clothes that didn't need to be washed every freaking time you wear them? He complained to himself not particularly fond of coming here since there would be at least one person that would ruin his mood with an insult or dirty look. He hoped to Kami that did not happen tonight. He had to wash at least a weeks worth of clothing before he was able to leave.

_10 minutes later..._

Naruto could be seen carefully observing the place around him. He released a relieved sigh at not spotting anyone. "So far so good. I don't think anyone is coming here anytime soon. I've at least done the washing part of this complicated procedure. Now all I've got to do is to dry them. Easy enough right." Grabbing the washed pairs of clothing and the rest, he roughly stuffed them onto the dryer so he could get the hell out of there.

As he watched his clothes tumble he began to hear some shuffling coming from the place. "Damn! Just my luck to have someone appear just when I'm about to finish. Can it get any worse! He cursed under his breath and stood as still as possible, trying to hear the sound he heard before. Oddly he failed to catch the same sound he had heard before. He blamed the wind and continued his chore.

When he heard another shuffle he decided to check out what the cause of it was once and for all. Rounding the corner he was immediately halted in his steps and could only stare in awe at the scene before his innocent eyes. There in front of him stood a young woman who was about a foot taller than he was and seemed to be about 12 years old. She could be more but he wasn't very good at judging people yet.

The young girl was of petite frame and had red hair that rested nicely near her developing chest which to his young eyes seemed enormous. You could metaphorically drown into her large brown eyes that were oddly transmitting pure death towards him. Of course he was completely oblivious to this since he was so busy being enchanted with the sight of her young body to even care that he might die right now.

The girl was only in her bra and panties which were both black matching her dark red hair perfectly. Finally finishing off with her flawless creamy white skin that seemed to have no blemishes on it that he could find. The small boy was so enthralled with the red haired girl before him that he completely missed the death stare aimed directly at his small frame.

Just like that he was snapped from his daze when his small body began to feel a heavy pressure in the atmosphere. A ominous dread followed, settling nicely in the pit of his stomach from the piercing glare coming from the girl. He quickly took notice that her once beautiful dark brown eyes were now blood-red with two strange dots surrounding them. "You have the sharingan! He acknowledged not believing that this pretty girl had those awesome eyes he had seen plenty of times before. But never on a girl though.

While Naruto was lost in his own little world the young red-head girl narrowed her now sharingan eyes on him turning his world dark for a split second. The whiskered boy for the life of him couldn't move a single muscle as he witnessed the girl walk directly for him. She had a gaze that made his skin crawl from the sheer amount of venom laced to them.

The boy began to hyperventilate at the pure fear he was feeling now and was desperately looking for a way out of his situation. He was too late as the girl slowly crouched down to eye level and gave him a warm smile. "Do you like what you see little man? Her tone was sweet and kind, completely opposite of the sensation he was getting from her.

Even though he didn't know a whole lot about being a ninja he knew that her smile wasn't real. Her eyes told a completely different story all together and that chapter promised a lot of pain and suffering if not given the correct answer. 'Damn it! This is definitely not good. She's looking for an answer. I better give her one or who knows what will happen to me.'

The gentle demeanor she had put on quickly crumbled and morphed into one of annoyance at the lack of a quick answer from him. "Well? Are you going to have me waiting until I fucking die little man!

Naruto flinched at her tone as he desperately brainstormed what to say that would make her less hostile. He suddenly punched his fist into his open palm seemingly coming up with a response that would satisfy her. He brought his determined eyes and spoke to the girl with complete confidence in his response. "Umm...you're pretty."

The air around them literally dropped in temperature He noticed her face had transformed from simple annoyance and into one of confusion. That expression only lasted a single second before her previous mood came back full force. "That's all you have to say to me? ...That I'm pretty."

Noticing the threatening tone of her voice he slowly nodded not sure how to respond. "Yeah I guess your extremely! Hot." The whiskered blond didn't see her fist flying straight for him, colliding with his face and forcefully sending him through the air and straight through the front door with basket in tow.

Naruto laid there for a couple seconds while his clothes had scattered all around him. His basket laid broken next to him but that could be because it was already old to begin with. As he picked himself from the cold ground he muttered curses to the pretty girl. "Give me a fucking break! I was only looking. It's not like I touched her or anything! Why on earth would she get so pissed with me? Hell, I even told her she was pretty!

His eyes closed as his face contorted into one of thinking. "I guess you're not supposed to say stuff like that to a girl. Especially when she's only in her underwear and bra huh." His face scrunched up even further and the more he thought about it the more he realized he was in the wrong. Grumbling in annoyance he muttered. "Still, she didn't have to hit me so hard. A simple get the fuck out of here you fucking creep would've done it right? Sighing he moved his small legs towards his scattered clothing and mundanely picked them up in a depressed manner.

Slowly he began to drag his feet back home with whatever clothes he still had left. Honestly he felt even more miserable than ever before. He forced himself to smile, 'I guess everybody is just jealous of me because I'm better than them. Yeah that's why the hate me so much! Because they're jealous! His smile slowly turned into a frown knowing that none of that was true. His head drooped down while his golden hair shadowed over his eyes as he silently began to shed some tears.

His tears were not because he felt sorry for himself like you might believe. His tears were from the sheer frustration of being so weak. He wasn't even capable of protecting himself from measly villagers if pushed come to shove. He clenched his fists and grinded his teeth in frustration, "Why am I so weak? If only I had power then I would never have to feel like this again! The air around the boy noticeably picked up in speed as the sky above the village trembled in anger.

**(Konoha Laundry Mat)**

"Is every man a fucking pervert? She grumbled already having put some clothes that she had washed. She didn't want to risk another incident like that from happening again. She unloaded the drier and stuffed them with the rest of her clothing before rubbing her neck as she tried to bring some relief to it. "Damn, I'm even more tired than I was before. I even had to use my sharingan to stop him from running away. What a pain in the ass that was." She released a frustrated sigh. "Today is not my day that's for damn sure. First off I keep getting these ridiculous missions to clean people's garbage or paint their fences. The more I think about it the more pissed off I get. I mean seriously, what does painting someones fence have anything to do with being a kunochi? Not a single damn thing if you ask me!

Her true desire was to go and fight some bad guys and kick their asses. Since she was already a fully fledged genin she felt that she deserved to be given tougher missions. She grumbled at the thought of the old man lecturing her about how she wasn't ready for tougher missions until she had some experience with D rank missions first.

Having finished unloading everything into her basket she slammed the drier door closed. Her vision lingered at the spot where the blond kid had stood just a few minutes ago. She frowned as a wave of guilt began hitting her for hitting the boy so hard even though she was partly at fault as well. Shaking her head she thought, _'What was I thinking undressing in the Laundry Mat in the middle of the night? _

The more she thought about it the more miserable she became. "I didn't even give him a chance to introduce himself. At least then I could apologize to him." Her dark brown eyes quickly darted towards the front door and sprinted to it hoping that by some miracle he would still be there. Unfortunately she was only greeted with the cold dead silence of the night. Her shoulders slumped at the realization that she had messed up and wasn't going to get a chance to apologize.

As she began to walk directly opposite where the boy had gone her attitude picked up somewhat. "Maybe I'll see him tomorrow if he comes back." Her spirits picked up even more. "I'll probably see him in the village tomorrow. Yeah! I can't lose hope now." The girl's speed picked up as she sprinted towards her home silently hoping that she would get her chance to meet him again and apologize.

**(With Naruto)**

The whiskered blond was slowly walking towards his house with his head still down. The more he walked the more shadows he noticed in the corner of his eyes causing his body to become rigid. The realization of what was about to happen hit him full force.

Several figures slowly began to pour out from the various abandoned buildings. A lone figure stepped up from the group and spoke. "Well, well, well, if it isn't little ole' Naruto-kun."

Naruto's body tensed when the sound of his name being called so nonchalantly as if they were long time friends. If only that were true but it wasn't. The boy knew that he couldn't escape them even if he wanted to. His terrified blue eyes focused it's full attention on the apparent leader of the group noticing the wicked smile he had plastered on his smug face. Steeling his heart and resolution his eyes became polar opposite of what he was really feeling and his voice turned ice cold. "What do you want with me?

The men surrounding him were initially smiling at the situation but their smiles rapidly dropped, hearing how different the boy sounded.

The leader on the other hand didn't even pay attention to his dramatic change in attitude and merely smirked even wider. "Whoa, Naruto-kun, you sure look tough with that face. You must be very confident in yourself huh." He snickered sarcastically, already knowing that he was bluffing since he knew for sure that he hadn't had any sort of training whatsoever.

The whiskered blond stood unmoving as his gaze remained locked onto the leader of the group. His body slowly tensed knowing what was coming his way.

The leader immediately caught this and with a single nod of his head a figure behind the boy began his assault like planned.

Naruto's teeth clenched, noticing the leaders signal. His ears twitched at the sudden movement behind him. Somehow he was able to catch his arm, which had a kunai in it and threw him over his shoulder. However, immediately after than a second figure came from his left and he was much faster than the previous guy he had overthrown. Without delay he raised his tiny arms in a sort of X fashion and took the brunt of the attack that sent him flying through the air.

A large explosion echoed through the abandoned street as his small frame slammed into a wall cracking it on impact.

His body fell from the hole of the concrete wall and landed harshly onto the dirt ground. Barely managing to stay on one knee his body was rocked with extreme pain. His entire upper body was throbbing in pain and his vision was to the point of blacking out. A glob of blood leaked from the boy's mouth as he tried in vain to raise his aching body from the ground. No matter how much he tried his weak body couldn't handle the strain any longer. The next second his body dropped onto the cold ground rapidly slipping into unconsciousness.

The leader smirked as he stood right beside the boy's unconscious body. Using his legs he flipped the blond boy on his stomach. "Impressive kid. You managed to avoid the first guy like you already knew exactly where he was. I guess that was a fluke huh. The second guy rocked you hard and now here you are." He gave the boy one last kick before ordering his men. "Come on gather his clothes. He doesn't need them anymore. I'm sure we can get something for this shit." He laughed as his followers started gathering the clothing.

Before they left the leader gave the unconscious boy a warning. "Look forward to seeing us again. Next time though, put up a decent fight you pathetic weakling." His posse cackled in unison at their leaders joke.

_2 minutes later..._

Naruto's beaten body twitched back to life as he slowly brought his aching body upwards. "Ugh... my fucking head! He shouted as he held his head in hopes of reducing the pain. As he held his head he noticed that his clothing were missing. "Well that's just fucking great. First I get hit in the face by a half naked girl. Well that wasn't so bad if I think about it but still. Anyways, then I get my ass handed to me by a bunch of dropout wannabees that have the nerve to steal my clothes." He sighed in defeat, "Can my luck possibly get any worse? His eyes glared at the night sky and saw a single lightning bolt before ice cold rain began to pour. "I just had to ask didn't I."

_Flashback end..._

As he finished remembering that terrible night he began preparing one of his favorite meals for breakfast. Ramen of course. It didn't take him long before he was finished scarfing the meal down before throwing the cup directly into the trash bin effortlessly. As soon as that was done he headed for the door and locked it behind him. He hastily made his way down the stairs and joined the civilian crowd in route to the Hokage Mansion. He hoped to convince the old man to give him a teacher to train him. At least until the academy started as he wanted to be the best in the academy. If he had a teacher to train him then he would be stronger than the others.

He continued walking the streets not failing to notice the glares the villagers were throwing his way. It was as if it was tradition to them. Of course he did the only thing that would counteract their hate. He smiled brightly of course._ 'Stupid people always making me feel unwanted in my own village. Well just you wait until I get stronger. Then you will have no choice than to respect me.' _

Even through the constant stares, life in Konoha was not entirely horrible. They were some people that treated him nicely or at least with indifference. For example the people at Ichiraku Ramen were particularly nice to him whenever he visited them. What he really wanted was friends his own age to hang out with. He desperately wanted to play tag and hide and seek like he had seen plenty of times in the park. But whenever he tried to join them they would always run away saying their parents told them not to get anywhere near the Demon spawn. He growled at the memory. _'Stupid adults always spouting such nonsense about him being this demon. Where the hell did they get that idea from anyways?! _

Swinging his head his eyes glanced at the building that sold Ninja equipment and clothing. He had always wanted to enter and see what they had to offer. Of course like with everything he wasn't allowed inside by the owner. For the life of him he couldn't understand the man's logic in turning down a sale. I mean that's the reason you have a shop to sell stuff to people right. It's not like he didn't have money to buy stuff. The old man gave him an allowance for stuff like this. He even showed the owner he had money but he still refused. His excuse was always the same. His customers did not want to shop at the same place the demon shopped.

He was getting sick of the word demon always popping up as excuses. Were they blind or something? Couldn't they see he was just a normal 8 year old kid. I mean if he was this big bad demon they always mentioned wouldn't he have this awesome power to defend himself. If he had the power of a demon he would simply tear his enemies apart like nothing and laugh manically at the carnage. Obviously none of that happened. Stopping for a moment he looked at store window that reflected his image to him. _'Do I really look like a demon to them?_ That question always lingered on his mind whenever he met new people.

Continuing to walk a huge shadow enveloped his own as he neared the Hokage Mansion. He stopped in his tracks and glanced up at the Hokage Mansion remembering his dream of becoming Hokage. He snickered at the idea of becoming Hokage like the old man was. Lately though he didn't even want to be associated with this village much less become its leader. His dream was very simple. He just wanted to become stronger. His blue eyes eyed the Hokage faces and smiled. _'Just wait and see. I'll become even stronger than you guys that are praised like gods by this village.' _

His eyes lingered on the Yondaime's face. _'This is the person that the whole village talks about all the time. Always praising him for how he defeated the legendary Kyuubi. Said to be the strongest of all the Biju's capable of slicing mountains in half with just a slice of his tail.'_ Whenever he overheard that story he was always tempted into asking them for more information. But he always chickened out.

His blue eyes finally left the Yondaime's face as he made his way for the Mansion. Making his way up the stairs leading into the main office where the wise and powerful Hokage resided in doing very important stuff. He chuckled at the thought. _'Yeah right, its probably more paperwork. Just another reason why I will never become Hokage.'_ He approached the desk where you would usually come to make an appointment with the man himself. Which apparently took almost a week to schedule. Of course he didn't have that kind of time as he needed to start training before the academy officially started.

The woman who handled the appointments and other business related things was for the most part tolerant of him which was a big plus in his book. So he had hoped that he could just go in and see him but with his luck who knows what might happen.

The whiskered blond made his way to the large double doors but was of course stopped in his tracks by the woman behind the desk.

"Please stop right there young man. If you wish to see the Hokage you have to wait until tomorrow and make an appointment then. The earliest I could schedule you in would be in about a week or so. Don't hold your breath though." She finished her explanation and glared at him to make her point perfectly clear to the annoyed boy.

**(Inside The Hokage Office)**

A red headed girl could be seen glaring at the powerful Hokage. Slamming his desk with both hands she insisted. "Come on old man you've got to have something tougher for our team than these useless D rank missions you keep giving us. We are clearly ready for some C rank or even B rank for Christ sake! She commanded not pleased with the man for giving her these lame missions time after time.

The powerful Hokage merely took it in stride as he breathed his pipe full of tobacco and exhaled filling the room with the smell. "I'm sorry you feel this way Maki, but as I mentioned before during our last encounter. You will not get a mission above D rank until the month is over." Clearing his throat he asked the girl again. "Did I make myself clear Maki?

The desk creaked from the death grip the red headed girl had on it. She was pissed that she was being denied again but knew she couldn't go against him no matter what she did. Bowing her head she apologized. "Forgive my rudeness Hokage-sama." Removing her hands from the desk she made her way towards the exit.

**(With Naruto)**

The whiskered blond couldn't believe that she wasn't allowing him to enter. If she thought that even for a second that this would stop him from seeing the old man today then she was bat shit crazy. His keen hearing picked up the conversation that was being held inside the office and it gave him an idea. Giving the glaring woman the sweetest smile he responded. "I understand that he is extremely busy. Thank you for setting me on the straight and narrow. I will be taking my leave now." He mocked bowed to the lady and mentally laughed at her surprised reaction. _'Stupid lady, actually believing I would give up so easily. Doesn't she realize who I am! I'm mother fucking Uzumaki Naruto! _

The boy slowly made his way to the exit like he had said but that didn't last long as he quickly whipped around and sprinted head first for the office doors, busting straight through them. Even though he successfully zoomed past the lady and into the office his face met another obstacle. However, never in his life had he felt something so soft. The feeling didn't last long as he collided with a red headed girl that was apparently leaving the office.

Said red headed girl fell hard on her behind from the force of the hit. She desperately rubbed it in hopes to relief the pain. Strangely the pain was also on her chest but decided against bringing attention to that and left it alone. At least until she got back home. Her closed eyes quickly opened preparing to murder whoever it was that pushed her down. Her initial murderous intention halted when she realized it was the little boy that she had met last night.

Naruto's face had planted straight into the hard floor causing serious pain to ripple from his head. "Man what the hell did I just hit? It felt like a water balloon at first followed by serious pain! He moaned in pain from the throbbing headache he was feeling. Slowly but surely he gathered his bearing and shook the cobwebs from his head. Looking up he noticed it was the girl that he had met in the Laundry Mat last night. He carefully inspected the place where his face had hit and wondered what could be that soft. His cheeks turned a bright red when he realized exactly what it was. He was about to apologize but was interrupted by her screeching voice.

"Hey I remember you, you're that pervert from the Laundry Mat right." She quickly stood up and put both hands on her hips. "Care to explain why you were there in the first place little man? She mocked expecting an honest answer.

The blond looked around wanting to see if this girl was serious with that question. It seemed she was if her face was any indication. Standing up he crossed his arms and answered her. "What else would I be doing in the Laundry Mat besides washing clothes lady." He shook his head at how stupid her question sounded to begin with. _'Is this girl mentally retarded or something? Who wouldn't know what somebody does at the Laundry Mat when it says it clearly in the freaking name! She's supposed to be stronger than me...get real.' _

The kunochi dangerously narrowed her eyes not pleased at his cheeky tone. This simple stare made him tense up expecting another hit to the face which never came. Instead she simply walked to him and knelt enough to be at eye level. "Of course I know what you do there you idiot! What I meant was what _you_ were doing their last night. Do your parents make you do the laundry or something? She asked him wanting to know what a little kid was doing there so late at night.

His body tensed at the mention of his parents. "I don't have any parents so yeah. I have to do the laundry myself." From her reaction he could tell that an apology would soon follow. Before she did though he simply waved her insult altogether. "Don't worry about it lady. You had no way of knowing and hopefully this solves the whole incident that happened between us last night."

Maki could only slump her head down in shame which the boy quickly noticed.

"Hey it's fine lady. You didn't know." Seeing no reaction he went a step further and physically brought her chin up and told her again. "Hey I told you it was fine alright. No harm done." Seeing that his little speech had been accepted he made his way to the Hokage and asked what he was going to ask initially.

**(With Hokage)**

Sarutobi was a bit surprised at Maki's behavior being the first time he had seen her sincerely apologetic. Every time he saw her she was always energetic and loud most of the time. He smiled, _'Sounds like someone else I know.'_ His eyes shifted to Naruto's approaching form. _'At least knew anyways.'_ He didn't know why the once boisterous kid had changed so much these past couple years.

Lately though he has noticed that the once happy go lucky kid was leaning towards a dark path. He had spied on the boy with his all seeing crystal ball and had witnessed Naruto become very mischievous. Constantly in some sort of trouble with people who were far stronger than the boy. He didn't mind if the boy wanted to challenge himself and become stronger. But it seemed like the boy would do anything for an edge. Shoving those thoughts aside he just hoped that it was just a case of paranoia.

The blue eyed blond finally reached him and declared. "Old man I came here to ask you for a favor."

Sarutobi's eyes widened a bit intrigued. "Depends on what your request is Naruto-kun."

The boy took that as a sign to continue. "I want someone strong to train me. I want to be the strongest in the academy when I enter." He declared feeling confident that he would get his way this time.

Sarutobi's eyes waned from his initial intrigue not surprised one bit that Naruto wanted to train. He knew the boy would do almost anything to gain power but was it wise to assign a sensei this early. He saw the boy's eyes gleam in excitement and couldn't deny the boy. "Alright Naruto-kun I'll give you what you want. I'll find you a sensei to train you, just give me a moment."

Naruto's heart began to beat harder at the thought of becoming stronger which was noticed by the Hokage.

Sarutobi's eyes glanced at Maki who was carefully listening to their conversation. The old Hokage motioned for the red headed kunochi to come forward. "Maki you wanted a tougher mission correct?

Maki nodded with the man. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi nodded and continued. "Alright, on this day forward you will be training Naruto on the basics until the academy begins in a couple months. This mission will be classified as a B rank for the amount of time you will spend on the boy. So expect a good pay if that is your concern."

Maki nodded with the man. "What about my sensei and teammates Hokage-sama?

Sarutobi waved her concerns and reassured her. "They will be informed about your circumstance and will get a replacement for the duration of your mission."

The kunochi nodded once again indicating to the old man that she had indeed accepted the mission.

The Hokage smiled and looked at Naruto who had a look of disinterest clearly not expecting her of all people to be his new sensei.

While the old man filed the necessary paperwork, Maki approached the whiskered blond and offered her hand to formally greet each other. "Hey there kid my name is Uchiha Maki, pleased to meet you officially."

Naruto rudely dismissed her kind greeting. "Yeah, yeah, I'm Uzumaki Naruto don't wear it out." The blond noticed the girl's initial smile wane as he smirked in victory. _'Doesn't feel to good to be ignored now does it Maki.' _

Maki saw the boy's cocky smirk and was quickly starting to regret accepting this mission. Knowing she wasn't going to get anything from him she made his way for the exit. Before she exited she decided to leave the boy with some instructions. "Uzumaki-san, in a week's time please meet me at training ground 8 at 7:00 AM sharp to begin our training understood."

Naruto flinched at her sudden change in tone and quickly nodded with her instructions. Once she was gone the boy brought his shocked face towards the Hokage unsure what just happened.

Sarutobi merely shrugged already knowing what kind of person Maki was to begin with. She could either be the nicest person in the world or the cruelest one if you pissed her off.

Seeing he wasn't going to get anything from the old man the blond made his way for the exit as well. "Why am I so bad with girls? He muttered as he exited the Hokage's office but not before catching the old mans sarcastic remark.

"It's simple Naruto-kun. You simply don't have any experience with women at all."

The blond grit his teeth at his rudeness. "Shut up old man. At least I'm still young enough to get a girl."

This remark quickly shut the laughing Hokage leaving him to the mountains of paperwork still needing to be completed.

A/N: And scene. Tell me what you think and review. Next chapter will come in the next couple days. BlackCrow out.


	2. Reborn

**A/N: Once again I bring you another chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

**Reborn**

___Later than day..._

Naruto for the first time was feeling a sense of excitement for the week to come. His reason for excitement was a viable one. When you are treated like the plague for most of your life and ignored in the process you develop an unhealthy desire for attention. He wanted to be acknowledged by the weak villagers and prove to them that he wasn't just some random orphan in the streets like they thought. Clenching his fists tightly, he fought with himself over his building emotions. "Finally someone will train me and finally I will become someone in this pathetic village called Konoha." Pounding his fist into his palm he declared. "No more of getting my ass beat by practically anyone with a grudge against me. Now I am the one to decide my fate not them!

Naruto's enthusiasm waned a bit at the thought of still having to wait a whole week before he even began to get stronger. "Damn it why did that girl have to say a week! Couldn't we have started right now? I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be!

Sighing he brought his bright blue eyes towards the glowing yellow sun that was just beginning to set. A faint whisper brought him out of his train of thought. '_Do not worry my son you will awaken soon enough. Have patience.' _His eyes darted everywhere trying to figure out where exactly that voice came from. However all he found was normal civilians walking about doing their daily duties.

Naruto for the life of him couldn't figure out where that voice could have possibly come from. If he could describe it he would say it sounded motherly to him which greatly confused him. He gave the area around him one more look and the closest thing he could come up with for the sound would be some random mother passing through with her kids in tow.

He absentmindedly ran his small hands through his blond locks and thought. '_What the hell was that voice just now? _Blinking rapidly he gazed at his hands unsure what to make of it. '_I'm thinking too much about training that it's making me hear voices.' _He gave a nervous chuckle to assure himself and just like that dismissed the voice he thought he had heard. '_It must have been the wind. Yeah that was it just the wind passing by.' _He nodded confidentiality having reassured himself that it was just the wind but immediately felt another sensation go through him. This feeling he knew far too well by now. It was the feeling of being watched.

He carefully looked around him and quickly spotted the one responsible. A little blond girl with eyes the same as him carefully watching him through the large window of what appeared to be a flower shop of sorts. The young girl seemed oblivious to being found out since she continued to watch him up until an older version of her came from behind and led her away. Seeing that he continued onwards feeling a little happy from the attention he had received. He chuckled and brought both hands to the back of his head. '_Heh, how pathetic of me to get all flustered like that over a little attention from a girl." _Turning his eyes towards the sky once again he noticed that the sun had officially settled and night time was fast approaching.

'_I guess I better head back home. I got nothing to do anyways.' _Having made his decision he quickened his pace and headed straight for home. As he was running he frowned and grumbled, '_I sure as hell don't want to repeat what happened last night that's for sure.'_

___10 minutes earlier..._

**(Yamanaka Flower Shop)**

The blond 8 year old girl was observing a boy about her age looking everywhere around him like he was crazy or something. "Is he crazy or something? Why is he just standing there talking to himself? She squinted her eyes to get a better picture of him and noticed that he looked a bit like her with blue eyes and blond hair. His were much more brighter than hers' though.

As she continued to study him wanting to know why he was acting like that his gaze turned towards her. A faint hue of pink filled her cheeks as his blue eyes bore into her. Her eyes widened realizing she was caught staring and just as she was about to run away she felt a sudden warmth on her shoulder preventing her. Quickly looking over shoulder she saw that it was only her mother and relaxed. "Geez mom don't creep up on me like that. Are you trying to give me a heart attack!

The young mother chuckled and led her away from the window . "Forgive me Ino. I didn't mean to startle you like that I just wanted to find out if you were hungry."

Ino shrugged and sighed. "Yeah I know mom. It's just that you really scared me there."

The young mother led her only daughter into the kitchen where her dad was already seated at the table arranging some flowers. The father known as Yamanaka Inoichi temporarily stopped attending to his bouquet of flowers and looked towards his daughter.

"Hey young lady what took you so long? Your mother called you several times that dinner was ready." Inoichi narrowed his eyes when his daughter looked away and began to blush. Already knowing he wasn't going to get anything from his daughter. His vision turned towards his wife. "What kept her from hearing us Mio?

As Mio began to serve dinner she gave her husband a very brief answer to his question. "Oh nothing dear. She was only mesmerized by a boy her age." She smiled when her husband briefly choked on his food before glaring towards his daughter.

"Yamanaka Ino! Who is this boy that you were staring at? You should know by now that you're much too young to be interested in boys right Mio." He sternly gazed towards his wife who only nodded all the while smiling thinking the situation funny.

Ino folded her arms across her chest and looked away. "I can do whatever I want daddy. Besides I was just looking at him it's not like I know him or anything."

Inoichi sighed and began to eat his food. "Who was this boy Ino? Have we met him before?

Ino shook her head negatively. "No we don't know him daddy. This is the first time I've seen him around the village but get this daddy. He was blond just like me and wore this ridiculous orange jumpsuit."

Inoichi's eyes narrowed a bit at his daughters description of the boy. "Mio, did you happen to catch who it was? Did he look familiar?

Carefully setting her own plate on the table she sat down and responded. "It was that Naruto kid that the Hokage had mentioned recently."

Inoichi nodded with her response already having an idea of who it could be. It wasn't that hard since few people have blond hair in this village. His eyes went to his daughter's who was pretending to ignore their conversation. Letting the topic of the boy drop, Inoichi continued eating before he was interrupted by Ino who had a few questions.

"Hey dad is this Naruto person going to the academy like me?

Inoichi nodded with her daughter's question. "Yes Ino, he is going like everyone else." The blond haired man shook his head at the way his daughter reacted to the news.

Meanwhile Ino could only think of their eventual meeting. '_Yes! I get to meet him in a couple of months. I can't wait! Hopefully I can convince him to get out of those ridiculous clothes seriously.'_

**(Naruto's Apartment)**

Naruto quickly went to bed as soon as he had arrived. He noticed that he was feeling more tired than usual which never happened. Laying in his soft bed the blue eyed boy gazed towards the empty ceiling until sleep overtook him.

**(Naruto's Mind)**

A young woman stood in a desolate area as the burning flames surrounded her and consumed everything and anything around her. She slowly stood up and walked towards the scorching flames seemingly unharmed by their harsh temperatures. The woman had a large and deep gash where her stomach should be and was struggling to keep her balance as she lost blood at a rapid pace. Her once beautiful red hair was now lifeless and covered with dirt. Her once vibrant eyes filled with light were now dull and void.

Her breathing came in harsh gulps and her vision was quickly becoming blurred. She knew she was dying by her steadily unresponsive body. Suddenly the woman fell forward and it honestly seemed like that was it for her. However, her laborious breathing could still be heard. '_Not yet, I still have to reach him. I must reach him! _She struggled to get back to her feet, but managed and saw that the ground was painted in her own blood.

Screams of agony could be heard around her but she continued to move forward seemingly nothing in her way could have stopped her. Even though she struggled to keep moving it all payed off when she saw a small white bundle surrounded by the never ending flames. A boy rested in the plain white basket. He had very bright blond hair with whisker marks that faintly adorned his small round face.

She once again dropped to her knees and struggled to breathe. She carefully reached into the basket and raised the small child into the air and cradled him into her chest. "Hello there my precious Naruto-kun. I'm afraid I don't have much time." She gave a bittersweet smile not wanting to accept that this would be the last time she would see him. She would never be able to see him grow and become strong like his father. She cringed as a wave of pain spread throughout her body as she tried to speak. "Son, before I leave I will give you something."

Tears flowed as she began saying her last words to her only son. "Even though you're still a child. All will be clear in due time." She gasped as her breathing became even more labored until she suddenly fell into a violent coughing fit. Tiny specks of blood fell into her lap clearly showing her that time was not on her side. "...Naruto-kun. We have failed in giving you a normal life like we wished." Her saddened eyes rose to the empty sky wishing it didn't have to end this way.

The crying of her new born son brought her back to earth and knew that her last mission as a mother was to warn her son on what he held inside. "Naruto, you have been cursed with a heavy burden. We can't ask for your forgiveness but never blame yourself for the burden you have received."

Her features turned hostile as the thoughts of that man began to surface. "The person responsible for this had eyes capable of controlling the Kyuubi. By willpower alone he commanded the Kyuubi to destroy Konoha. You must find this person and stop him Naruto-kun. Before even more lives are lost."

Another violent coughing fit hit her full force preventing her from continuing. Once it subsided enough she continued. "We might not be there to watch you grow up and eventually become a fine young man like your father but we will leave you with something that will make up for it. Use it to protect yourself from all the troubles that will undoubtedly befall you."

Gently placing him back in the plain basket she gathered her remaining chakra and began doing a series of complicated signs. Finishing, her palms glowed a brilliant blue color as she brought them towards Naruto's small body. A very intricate looking seal appeared on his body and exuded a blinding blue aura that enveloped his entire body. The small boy immediately began to scream as the mysterious blue energy crackled all around him.

Kushina's last bit of chakra had been exhausted causing her to fall to the floor. Even though her body was failing her she refused to give up just yet and used the energy that was keeping her alive to crawl towards the screaming boy. Her time on this earth was set but she still needed to relay one final message to her precious son. "...Naruto-kun...before I go I have to warn you..." Her mouth started to pour even more blood reminding her that she had used up all her remaining energy.

At this point all her body wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep, ending this agonizing pain she was going through. _'No...I can't give up. I have to finish this.' _So that's exactly what she did. Through blood stained teeth she said her final words. "...Naruto-kun, your father and I have created something that would be viewed as forbidden but we felt it was necessary. You have been gifted a power that will make you strong. This power will lay dormant in you for many years until it feels you're ready to awaken. Become strong my son and whatever you face just know that we love you and always will."

Her eyes slowly but surely began to close as her body rapidly shut down. A gentle smile adorned her beautiful face as a thunderous clap exploded awakening him from the dream.

**(With Naruto)**

_'Mother! _Naruto instantly shot up from his sleep and began to feel an excruciating burning sensation on his entire body. Throwing his blanket away his eyes widened in fear as his entire body was covered with what seemed to be electricity. His body seemed to be undergoing a transformation and he couldn't stop it even if he tried.

"AHHHHH! He shrieked as torturous pain from the electricity began zapping all his nerve ending at once as it flowed through him like a circuit. If he could think he would honestly admit that this moment happening right now would be the most painful experience he had ever felt. It made those beatings he received from those jerks last night feel like nothing. This pain felt like it had been going on for hours but in truth only five minutes had passed. Just as quickly as it began it stopped, making the boy fall into sweet unconsciousness.

**(Outside Naruto's Apartment)**

The skies outside the boy's apartment were completely devoid of any light. Only the frequent lightning surges sprawling across the entire sky remained. The entire apartment complex was surrounded by lightning preventing anyone from entering the complex which only Naruto resided in.

_5 minutes earlier..._

**(Hokage Mansion)**

The Hokage of Konoha known as Sarutobi Hiruzen was sitting behind his desk with an exhausted face. The endless amount of paperwork that seemed to multiply no matter how much he did was the main cause for his exhaustion. Sensing a familiar chakra approaching he put the paperwork down and greeted his long time friend. "To what do I owe the great pleasure of having you here this late at night Kakashi? He smiled at his student that was famous around the continents known as Kakashi of the sharingan.

Kakashi bowed at the Hokage and reported. "Hokage-sama. I have received multiple reports stating they had seen several lightning strikes directed for the apartment complex Naruto resides in." The veteran former anbu captain saw the Hokage tense up at the mention of the boy's name. "I have sent several of my anbu to go investigate the apartment but came up empty. It seems that the building is covered by a veil of lightning and burning everyone who tries to enter."

Sarutobi nodded understanding his explanation of the situation that was happening. He was concerned about the boy's life as he was surrounded by heart stopping currents that could strike him at any moment. His small body couldn't handle that much lightning moving through him so he needed to act fast. Steeling his gaze he commanded. "Kakashi try and force yourself in the building using your own lightning technique. From there bring the boy to the hospital in case he has any injuries that need to be treated. Understood."

Kakashi understood his mission and quickly vanished leaving behind a worried Sarutobi.

(**With Kakashi)**

As soon as he arrived he saw the barrier that prevented his other subordinates from penetrating inside. Almost all of them had no lightning techniques besides him so it was understandable. Taking a couple steps back he reached for his arm and firmly gripped it. Gathering his chakra it transformed into pure lightning. Feeling the technique was ready he quickly disappeared in a blaze of speed and extended his charged hand towards the lightning barrier. _**"Raikiri! **_

His technique was met with some initial resistance but that soon gave away as he successfully pierced through. This resulted in the entire complex to lose its previous lightning barrier. Even though he had been successful in breaking it, his hand was left completely numb from the foreign lightning. _'Seems that this lightning is not the same as mine. Interesting.' _

**(With Naruto)**

Naruto's body seemed to have undergone some kind of transformation. His limbs seemed longer and his frame appeared stronger. His body meanwhile was still enveloped by lightning, continuing to spark on its own. The whole transformation had left the boy drained of any energy as he continued to sleep, oblivious to what was happening to his body.

**(With Kakashi)**

Once he saw the barrier go down he made his way to the boy's room. The entire front entrance was obliterated as he saw the boy asleep. Immediately he sprinted towards him, checking for any vital signs indicating he was still alive. Once confirming he was still alive he breathed a sigh of relief. His eyes inspected the boy and noticed several burns on his torso. Surprisingly they didn't seem life threatening even though he was completely surrounded by it.

Another thing he noticed as he checked the boy was that his body had grown several inches since he last saw him. _'Strange I could've sworn that he was shorter just yesterday.' _He disregarded that thought and picked the boy up as carefully as possible. _'He also seems heavier for his size. I better get to the hospital quickly.' _

**(Konoha Hospital)**

As soon as he received word from Kakashi about Naruto's condition the old man dropped everything he was doing and headed straight for the hospital. Even though he was the Hokage he was still met with some resistance from the counter lady saying it was impossible to see him right now. That misunderstanding was quickly remedied when the woman took a closer look at realized her mistake. She immediately let the man pass giving him the room number as he sprinted towards the room.

He was greeted with a medic-nin that quickly figured out who the man was. Bowing to the man he introduced himself. "Hello there Hokage-sama. I presume you're here to check up on Uzumaki's condition."

The powerful Hokage nodded as he carefully examined the boy's body, surprised at how different he seemed.

The medic nodded already knowing what the man was thinking. "Yeah I was pretty shocked myself. I have never seen such a drastic change in appearance in such a short amount of time before." The medic pointed to where the changes had occurred. "My records show that he was 4' 5" just a couple days ago. Now though he stands at a solid 5 feet. That's quite a change to happen on a eight year old boy isn't Hokage-sama."

That much was obvious to the old man. This was definitely not your everyday thing that's for sure.

The medic's demeanor suddenly turned serious. "Hokage-sama, this boy managed to survive enough lightning that would realistically kill a dozen healthy full grown men in a heartbeat if hit with the same amount that the boy was hit with."

Sarutobi was in disbelief. "How is that possible. He should be dead with that much lightning hitting his body shouldn't he?

The medic nodded and wrote on his clipboard. "That's what most medic's would tell you but miraculously he not only survived it...he absorbed it. He is the literal definition of a human conductor."

Sarutobi surprisingly managed to compose himself and asked. "Do you think this is some kind of Bloodline limit or something of that nature?

The medic finished writing on his clipboard and looked at his patient. "It definitely points towards that outcome. I have no other explanation as to how he survived." The doctor looked towards the Hokage and recommended. "If I may I would call it Byakurai." Feeling like he had told him everything important the man made his way to the door. "Don't worry so much Hokage-sama. In a couple of days the boy will be as good as new. So try and relax he's in good hands."

Sarutobi absentmindedly nodded and went to grab a chair to sit down near his grandson.

_3 hours later..._

Sarutobi groggily opened his sleep ridden eyes and realized he was still in the hospital. His eyes adjusted to the dark and spotted the boy sleeping peacefully like before. His eyes went to the nearest clock and noticed it was just past three in the morning. Silently he stood up from his chair and walked to the boy. He examined his body once more and was shocked to see his burns were completely healed. _'I shouldn't be too surprised by this. Kyuubi is still very much alive inside him boy after all.' _Knowing he wouldn't awaken anytime soon he decided he would return to his office.

_1 hour later..._

**(Naruto's Mindscape)**

Naruto stood in a desolate area much like his mother was in the dream before. All around him brilliant strikes of lightning impacted the earth, scorching it from the extreme heat it produced. His glowing blue eyes looked up, reflecting an enormous lightning bolt that seemed to be aimed directly at him. Just like that a tremendous explosion rocked his body but instead of being killed like he thought. His body actually absorbed the energy and could've sworn was talking to him.

Straining his ears he tried to hear whatever the voice was trying to say to him. He suddenly grabbed his ears in pain as blood ran freely at the sudden outburst that rang in his head. _**'Master it is time for you to AWAKEN!**_

**A/N: And scene. Well tell me what you think and I'll see you next time. BlackCrow out! **


	3. Mistaken Identity

**A/N: Welcome to another chapter of my story. This chapter is a little on the slow slide but trust me when i saw it gets better. Please enjoy and tell me what you think.**

**Mistaken Identity **

**(Konoha Hospital)**

Suddenly the boy awakened from his slumber. His inability to move made him panic feeling like his body was frozen in time. Really though his body was just numb from the lightning that was coursing through him. It took minutes until he was able to feel his body again. The first thing he did was scan his environment to figure out where exactly he had been taken to. The answer came to him quickly but his question still remained. Why was he in the hospital in the first place. Also, who brought him here?

His teeth clamped down as he forced his body upright from the bed. Immediately he noticed the faint sparks of lightning coming from his body. Faint burn marks plagued the bed he was in and it brought even more questions and intrigue. However those questions did not linger much longer. He remembered the dream and everything fell into place.

Sliding to the side of the bed, his eyes snapped shut as the bitter cold of the floor hit his bare feet. Enduring the cold he made his way towards the small restroom to see what exactly had happened to him. He figured if he could see himself he could gather some clues. So with that in mind he flipped the switch on and flinched at the bright light. Adjusting quickly he examined himself in the mirror and thoroughly checked his face. With every twist and turn, one thing was obvious. His face seemed to have morphed ahead a couple years making him seem older than he really was. The baby fat on his cheeks seemed to have disappeared entirely.

Pushing himself against the empty wall he measured himself and realized he had grown a couple inches as well. "It seems I have changed in appearance quite a bit. I wonder what else changed? He questioned in a noticeably deeper tone. His hand quickly reached for his throat. "My voice seems to have changed as well. At least it matches my height somewhat. It would be incredibly awkward to have the voice of a kid at this height."

Finishing looking over himself he flipped the light switch and exited the restroom heading for the open window in his cubicle. He brought his right arm forward and concentrated until finally a couple of sparks enveloped his right hand. Feeling confident seeing this he poured even more power until his entire frame was covered in a blue aura of lightning. As quickly as it had appeared his armor per say had vanished. No matter what he did or how much he concentrated he couldn't bring the power out again.

"I need more practice if I ever want to control this new found power I have received." Relaxing his body his eyes concentrated on the glow that the full moon provided. _'I wonder how much will change now that I have this power. Only time will tell.' _

_3 days later..._

**(Konoha Hospital)**

Naruto shook his head in annoyance. "Medic-san. I believe enough time has passed for you to figure out I'm healthy enough to be released. I have to get out of here so I can train." He struggled to keep his cool as he began to go crazy at being cramped in this small room. To add even more frustration to this situation he noticed the medic hadn't even payed attention to his rant. He seemed busy writing in his clipboard like his life depended on it. _'This man is the epitome of annoyance.' _

The doctor was indeed listening unlike the boy believed. It wasn't like he didn't want to listen to his patient but after being asked the same question for the past several days. Anyone would become annoyed. "For the last time Uzumaki-san. You will be released in a couple of hours from now. All you have to do is sit there while I do one more test on you. After that you will be free to do whatever is so important alright." _'Jesus what is it with younger folk having no patience for anything.' _He thought feeling a great deal of frustration at how impatient the boy was acting these past couple days.

Shaking his head the medic continued his task and moved to the machine that displayed the boy's vital signs. Smiling at what he saw he thought. _'Well at least he's recovering nicely. Quite honestly he could've been released yesterday or even the day before by how fast he recovered. Not that I would tell him that of course.'_ The actual reason he was forced to stay an extra day was because he had to wait for the results to see what exactly was going on inside his body. His intrigue was peaked when the boy came into his care several days ago. He was curious in finding out just how his body was able to sustain so much potent lightning inside his body without being hurt himself. He would go so far as to say that it had actually sped up his recovery even further if the tests were any indication.

The medic also noticed how the boy's vocabulary changed after this incident. Sure he had annoyed the living crap out of him for the past several days but at least he had used words that were for people even older than him. _'It seems that even his mentality was affected by this event.'_ It wasn't just his physical characteristics that dramatically changed like they had thought. Now that he thought about it this all seemed a bit far-fetched but seeing the boy here and now. This whole thing was very plausible.

Writing down the last few notes he smiled at the boy and informed. "Just one more test and you're free to go Uzumaki-san."

Naruto's sharp eyes remained fixed on his own not convinced by his words at all. "You have told me that countless times Medic-san. The more I hear those words from you the less I believe them. So for your sake, you better be right old man."

The medic tried his damnedest to keep his temper under control. _'Stupid little runt calling me old! I'm fucking twenty five for Christ sake! Kids these days have no respect for their elders.' "_I assure you this will be the final test and then you can leave."

Naruto nodded and stood up. "I will hold you to that old man."

The doctor waved off his insult. "Come here and take off your clothing. I need to inspect your body one last time and see if any broken bones or anything that will bring you trouble if left untreated remained."

Naruto stood confused at his suggestion. "Isn't one check enough? Can't you just feel through the clothing?

The medic shook his head. "No, it doesn't work like that. I need to see the injury, if any, first hand. So please do as I say this last time."

Wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible he complied. "Alright old man but you better not try anything on me or I will hurt you understand."

The medic's gaze hardened a bit as he filed the blatant threat for future reference. _'This boy might have developed some psychological problems during the event. I might have to go over his mental condition later on.' _Kneeling in front of the boy he instructed. "Before I begin I want you to promise me you'll tell me if anything hurts alright." Taking the boy's silence as a yes he carefully glided his trained hands over his chest to see if he felt anything out of place.

As his hands roamed across his ribs he immediately sensed the boy tense. "Did that hurt Uzumaki-san? He once again took his silence as a yes. The medic stood up and wrote his findings on his clipboard. "I'm sorry but it seems that you may have to stay here an extra day. At least until your rib recovers Uzumaki-san."

Naruto was beyond annoyed at this point. "What the hell old man. You specifically told me that I would be let go after one more test. Well guess what, you did your test and I'm fine see." He jumped in place, trying to show the medic that he had nothing to worry about.

The medic noticed the boy had stopped jumping and simply remained silent. He knew that the boy was not fine and found it hilarious to see the boy to proud to show it to him. Shaking his head at how hard headed the boy was acting he advised. "You should've listened to what I said. Now look at you. Reduced to hiding your pain even though you just made it worse by jumping."

Naruto's face showed great pain but his pride did not allow him to admit he was wrong.

Fortunately for both of them the tension was broken by a smiling Hokage entering the room. "Ahhh, Naruto-kun. I see you're doing much better. Glad to see you back on your feet after that night." His kind eyes shifted to the medics. "So tell me Medic-san. How is Naruto-kun really doing. Is he healthy enough to leave today?

The medic shook his head in a negative fashion. "I'm afraid he has to stay an extra day Hokage-sama. But you shouldn't worry too much since its only his ribs that need to finish healing. He should be able to leave by tomorrow morning at the latest."

Sarutobi nodded with his explanation and shifted his eyes back to the boy who seemed upset with what he was hearing. "How are you doing Naruto-kun?

"I'm fine old man." He answered bluntly as he soothed his chest.

Like always the old man didn't let the obvious lie bother him and continued to smile. "That's good to hear Naruto-kun. Just get some rest and by tomorrow you should be able to leave. So you still got plenty of time before your scheduled meeting with Maki-san to begin your training."

Naruto's eyes widened at the realization. "I almost forget all about her and the training. Thanks for reminding me about it old man. Who knows what would've happened if I didn't show up for our scheduled meeting."

Sarutobi hastily gave him his answer. "She would come find you and kill you."

Naruto did not respond to the old man's answer. At least not verbally. _'I know he isn't kidding around when he says that.' _He most certainly did not want to try to check his theory out.

The silence was broken when a beautiful young nurse came through the door pushing an aluminum tray containing his meal for the day. She flashed them a magnificent smile and greeted herself. "Pardon my rudeness Hokage-sama/Medic-san but its time for the patient to eat his lunch."

Both of them hastily got out of her way trapped in a trance of her beauty. They were both snapped out of it as the sound of the aluminum tray hitting the floor rang.

"If you honestly think I will eat this shit you're trying to pass off as food. Then you are sorely mistaken. I don't care if you've trapped these two idiots in your beauty but not me lady. I will never eat this food again. Feeding this to your patients is only adding to their suffering. Being a person meant to heal only adds insult to injury." Grabbing the food from the floor he forced it down the nurses throat. "Here have a taste."

The nurse quickly spit out the soiled food and glared at the boy. Grabbing a piece from the floor she tried and failed to force feed the boy. "Ouch! The woman jumped back in pain as she witnessed the boy surround himself with lightning.

The boy tuned out her yelling as his eyes drifted towards the open window.___'Someone get me the hell out of this place.' _

_4 days later..._

**(Maki's Bedroom)**

_Beep! Beep! Beep! _Her alarm clock ringed until the girl managed to find the snooze button effectively shutting it off. Forcing herself upright she rubbed her eyes trying to wake up. She then made her way to the closet door and pulled out her regular outfit and laid it out on the bed. She trudged towards the bathroom and instinctively removed her clothing and hopped into the shower.

_15 minutes later..._

Having finished doing her morning routine she made her way down the stairs and started making her breakfast. It was the standard scrambled eggs and a piece toast. Taking a bit of her toast she mulled over the idea of making lunch for her and Naruto. It didn't take that long to decide in making a simple lunch for the both of them.

As she began preparing the simple sandwiches her mind started to wander. _'This will be the first time anyone eats my homemade lunch and its a guy no less.' _The more she thought about it the more flustered she became. _'Snap out of it! This is just a teacher and her student eating lunch together. It doesn't need to mean anything.' _Even though she told herself that she unknowingly put an incredible amount of effort into making them.

Stretching her body of the kinks from standing in one place for a while she smiled. "Finally I finished. That took longer than I thought it would take. No matter I still got plenty of time before I need to meet with him right." Her eyes widened realizing her mistake. "Shit! It's already 7:30 AM! I told him that he needed to be there at 7:00 AM sharp. What kind of sensei am I? Grabbing a small basket she stuffed the sandwiches and bolted for the door. Confirming the door was locked she quickly made her way to training ground 8. She hoped that he would still be waiting and not have left.

Her spirits visibly deflated upon seeing he was nowhere to be found. Making her way into the grounds she walked to a large tree and gently laid the basket under it. _'I guess I might as well begin with some light exercises to warm up a bit. Hopefully he shows up.' _

_2 hours later..._

**(With Naruto)**

An orange blur could be seen rapidly jumping from building to building. "Stupid doctor making me be late to meet my sensei. Test after test he didn't slow down even though he had promised me that it would be the last. Mind you that was almost a week ago. Hopefully Maki will understand that it wasn't my fault. It was the old man's fault."

With a heavy push he front flipped into a clearing and began to walk the rest of the way. "Man, this place is sure far away from the hospital." He mumbled as he entered the training ground and quickly spotted his new sensei. She was resting under a large tree with a faraway look in her eyes. _'I wonder what's she's thinking right now.'_ Not wanting to scare her on their first meeting he made sure to announce his presence before hand. "Sorry Maki-chan. I know I'm incredibly late but it wasn't my fault. Some people just don't know how to keep a promise." He muttered thinking back to the annoying medic and his empty promises.

Maki's eyes widened in surprise and immediately jumped back in response. Narrowing her eyes she crouched dangerously low and brought out a single kunai. Her previous brown eyes had morphed into the infamous sharingan of the Uchiha clan. Locking in on her opponent she disappeared from sight and stood behind Naruto, digging her kunai into his throat. "Who are you?

To say the boy was shocked by her display of hostility towards him was an understatement. His nerves only worsened when he could feel the bitter cold of her steel kunai begin digging dangerously close to his jugular. Of course Naruto was not one to show weakness. Even more so when he gained his powers. Smiling he asked the girl. "Is this any way to greet your new student Maki-chan? I would think that sharingan of yours would tell you exactly who I am. But I won't blame you since I'm not the same person I was a few days ago."

Maki suddenly yelped at the sudden pain running through her body. It was enough to force her to drop her kunai and jump back to safety. Her eyes quickly shifted to her arm deeply confused. _'What the hell was that?! It felt like something shocked me.' _Her sharingan eyes quickly went back to the mysterious stranger and was unsure what to make of him. Wiggling her arm she tried to bring back some feeling to it before asking again. "Who are you and what do you want with me?

Naruto was having trouble trying to keep his cool under control. He couldn't believe that Maki couldn't figure out such an easy riddle. "Come on Maki isn't the answer obvious. It's me Naruto. The one you were assigned to train not kill."

He shook his head at the shock on her face when he finally mentioned his name. One thing he did not foresee was the girl charging straight for him. Between blows that Naruto was managing to dodge, Maki growled out.

"Please don't insult my intelligence with that stupid lie. You look nothing like my student and for you to even try and disguise yourself like him to get near me is pathetic."

Once again he couldn't really blame her for not believing him right away. The last time they met was just a week ago and he was several inches shorter. That much change in height did not happen overnight. Even he was put off by his sudden increase in height but quickly grew to like his new self. This new power he had been gifted by his parents made him feel invisible. Which was why his worry about an enraged Maki gunning for his life wasn't much. This quickly changed when he felt Maki increase her speed allowing her to land one good hit sending him flying through several trees.

Gritting his teeth at the pain he felt from her kick he stood back up. "Man Maki, I didn't know you treated your students this harshly on the very first day. I wonder what the old man would think when you failed your mission because you killed your first ever student." He laughed at her shocked expression when she finally put two and two together. "It sure took you a while to figure out that I was telling the truth. You must not trust people so easily huh."

The girl was barely managing to hide her shock when finding out that he was the same small boy she had met at the Laundry Mat. Her sharingan eyes had returned to normal after the revelation. "N-Naruto w-what happened to you?! Why are you so different?!

Not feeling like going into all the little details he just gave her the quick version. "I was hit by lightning and it somehow sped up my growth cells into overdrive making me have an early growth spurt."

Thinking about it more carefully she thought back. _'I remember some of the villagers whispering about someone getting him by a single lightning strike. To think that it was Naruto of all people this whole time. But why didn't the old man mention this when I visited his office just yesterday? Did he not want me to find out? Maybe he wanted to keep the victims identity a secret.' _

Maki was so deep in thought that she didn't hear him walk up to her and stare at her eyes.

"You may think this is weird but could you show me your sharingan Maki-chan?

The red head quickly snapped out of her thinking and stood confused by his request. "Umm...why?

The blond boy just shook his head. "I just want to take a closer look that's all."

Maki's expression turned suspicious at his odd request. "Are you sure that's the only reason Naruto-kun? Seeing his smile she couldn't deny the curious boy. "Alright but only this once alright!

Naruto saw her steady her breathing as her sharingan appeared. "Can you tell me when you awakened them Maki-chan."

Maki closed her eyes and proudly stated. "Well to answer your first question I was about ten years old when I finally unlocked them. However, the eyes you're looking at right now took me two full years of harsh training until they finally morphed into level two."

Seeing his confusion she added. "Well you see the small dots around my eyes."

"Yeah what about them?

Smirking she continued. "Well that indicates what stage of the sharingan you're in. Once you acquire three small dots around both your eyes then you have finally reached the final stage and evolved your vision to its greatest potential."

Naruto nodded with the information finding it interesting even though he didn't have the sharingan. "Why haven't you gained the last evolution Maki-chan?

Crossing her arms she replied. "It's not as simple as you imagine. Only a few people my age have gained the final evolution."

Thinking of another question he asked. "Can you tell me what you see when you use your sharingan on someone."

Maki smiled at his curiosity. "The real ability of the sharingan is being able to practically learn every jutsu the user sees. Another handy ability is being able to accurately predict what your opponents next move will be. That is the reason why its almost impossible to sneak up on a sharingan wielder."

"Then why was I able to surprise you just a couple minutes ago?

Maki huffed at being reminded of that incident. "W-well I d-didn't have them activated that time alright!

Naruto smiled and inched even closer. "I see how having the sharingan can be very beneficial to a shinobi. Imagine if I had them. I would be even more powerful."

Maki chuckled seeing his eyes sparkle at the idea. "Don't worry so much about it Naruto-kun. You don't need them to be strong."

Nodding with her statement his eyes spotted a basket sitting under the tree. "Did you make some lunch Maki-chan? It would be nice if you did since hospital food is not something I want to remember."

Maki's ears perked at the mention of lunch. "Yeah I made some sandwiches this morning. You want some?

Naruto rubbed his stomach and nodded. "If you would have me then sure. As I mentioned hospital food is something I don't want to remember."

Grabbing the basket she reached into it and grabbed several sandwiches. "Here help yourself."

He could see that Maki was waiting for his answer on how they tasted. Even if they tasted like garbage he wouldn't tell her that. Thankfully he didn't have to lie. "Wow Maki-chan. These taste amazing. Your mom must be an amazing teacher." He noticed her flinch at the mention of her mother and already knew the reason why.

"You don't have parents do you Maki? Taking her silence as a yes he apologized. "Sorry I even brought it up Maki-chan. I can see you really loved her."

Maki shook her head. "It's alright Naruto-kun. Now we're even." Wiping away her tears she beamed a smile unlike before. "Come on Naruto-kun I'll take you somewhere that I'm sure you'll love."

Naruto suddenly felt a warm feeling on his hand pulling him away from the training ground. As he was being dragged through the streets he asked. "Not that I'm not enjoying having your warm hand in mine but just answer me this. Where the hell are you taking me?

Maki's cheeks reddened at his blatant compliment. "T-trust me Naruto. You're going to love this place. I go all the time whenever I'm hungry. It's called Ichiraku Ramen!

**A/N: And scene. Well tell me what you think and all that jazz. I hope you enjoy and review. Until next time BlackCrow out!**


	4. Power Struggle

**A/N: Welcome once again to another chapter of my story. Please enjoy and review. **

**Power Struggle**

_10 minutes later..._

**Near Ichiraku Ramen**

Naruto had since been released from Maki's hand as both of them made their way to Ichiraku where she had proclaimed it served the best food in the entire village. Did he agree with her? Of course. Ever since he had stumbled upon that majestic place he couldn't stop eating it whenever he could. The best thing about it was that it was extremely cheap and it filled you up nicely.

The walk towards the stand was pretty uneventful apart from the constant glares he was still receiving even though he was much different than before. Physical wise at least. _'I guess you can't change who they are can you? _One thing he noticed as well was apart from receiving looks himself, Maki was also a victim of them. His blue eyes shifted towards her own and wondered. _'I wonder if she even notices? _If she did then she must have got a good poker face. Or she was so used to it that she just ignored them all together.

"Maki-chan... do you feel anything _odd_ when you walk in the village?

Without even turning her head to face him she replied hastily. "Hmm not particularly. Why do you ask Naruto-kun?

Naruto hid his suspicion well and merely shook his head. "No reason Maki-chan. Just thought I should ask." He saw the girl just nod and continue walking to their destination.

_5 minutes later..._

**Just Outside Ichiraku**

Naruto chuckled when he noticed her quicken her pace as they neared the stand. Quickening his own paced he advised. "Calm down Maki-chan. We're here already! There's no need to run."

With a smile of her own she remarked. "Did I forget to mention that whoever get's there second has to pay for both of us! Hearing him complain she arrived at the stand and threw open the small curtain that hanged from the top. "Ayame-chan! Teuchi-san! She cheerfully waved to them and took her seat on one of the many empty chairs.

The person's in question equally greeted her enthusiasm with a wave of her own. "It's a pleasant surprise to see you here today Maki-chan. I thought you told me that you were going to be busy eating lunch with your student this afternoon and wouldn't be able to make it today? The woman asking the question named Ayame took a thoughtful pose as she tapped her chin. "Hmm what was his name again Maki?

The red headed kunochi was mortified that her secret motivation was almost revealed to a boy that didn't even notice. Trying to rectify her situation she added. "I didn't say that Ayame-chan! What I did say was that I _may _not come today. As you can clearly see things change." She huffed and turned her attention to a bored looking Naruto who seemingly was looking into nowhere in particular. _'What the hell is he doing just standing there anyways? _

What little attention the boy had was enough to notice the jarring silence. His eyes shifted towards Maki and noticed her irritated glare. _'She seems irritated about something. I guess I should introduce myself to them but I don't know how they'll take it. Not many people know about my transformation yet.'_ Not wanting to make his sensei any madder he got up from his seat and tipped his head. "Ayame-san, Teuchi-san I am Maki-chan's student Naruto."

The folks at the small stand were startled at the sudden deep voice that seemed to fill the stand. The girl's vision snapped towards the boy sitting next to the girl and was honestly wondering whether he had barely entered. Also something in her conscious was telling her that she had heard that name plenty of times before. _'Naruto.' _She mumbled it several times trying to correlate the name to another boy that came here often. Oddly enough they looked almost the same except for the fact that this boy right now seemed much older.

Giving up she recovered her smile and returned his greetings. "Ah hello there Naruto-san. Did you perhaps just come in? She laughed nervously feeling embarrassed. "I apologize if you were. I tend to be a bit oblivious to my surroundings."

Taking his seat once again the boy dismissed her apology. "No need Ayame-san. It's a welcome relief not standing out for a change."

Both women seemed to catch the hidden message but did not ask him to divulge any further. Instead the older girl turned her attention to her sister figure and formed a more devilish smile. "So... you call her Maki-_chan_ huh? Her smile intensified even further seeing Maki desperately fighting to avoid her gaze. "I didn't think it was possible for our little Maki-chan to get herself a boyfriend. Let alone a hunk like yourself Naruto-san." She purred suggestively hoping to antagonize the girl even further which seemed to work like a charm.

"N-No He's not my boyfriend Ayame-chan! He's only 9 years old for crying out loud! She crossed her arms and looked away trying to control her building blush at the outrageous accusation she had implied.

On the outside the older girl seemed impassive at the information but on the inside she was surprised. _'Wow this guy is only 9 years old! That's very hard to believe considering he looks much older than what Maki is saying.' _Noticing her blush was still very much alive it gave the older girl an idea. "So what if he's only 9 years old. Last time I checked you had just turned twelve Maki-chan. That's only a 3 year difference. I can live with that can't you?

Maki stood frozen as thoughts began to bombard her mind. _'What the hell is Ayame-chan thinking in saying all those comments.?! Can't she see we're just friends? She does have a point though. 3 years is not that much a difference and Naruto could easily pass as a teenager.' _

Ayame smirked at the girls internal struggle and was pleased that she was still able to embarrass her from time to time. Even though she liked to tease her she thought of her as a little sister. As a big sister she felt that it was her job to look over her. Considering she had no one else it was even more important. The girl's smirk slowly died down as her attention drifted towards the silent blond headed boy who seemed to be watching their bickering carefully. Even though it was mean she honestly thought that the kid was creepy at how silent he was. _'Definitely need to watch out for this guy. Seems to me he's one of those guys who hides their true feelings behind a stoic mask.' _Her thoughts were interrupted by the boy.

"Is something the matter Ayame-san?

Ayame quickly shook her head. "N-No Naruto-san. As I mentioned before I can be a tad oblivious and sometimes just daydream." Her eyes quickly shifted to the red headed kunochi. "Alright today's meal is on the house for the both of you in celebration of Maki finally being able to make a friend!

Maki smiled and turned to Naruto. "Guess you got lucky today Naruto-kun. You don't have to pay for my meal as well for losing to me."

Naruto remained silent as he watched the excited girl order herself several bowls that contained every imaginable topping. He was going to remark that she could eat so much but refrained knowing it wouldn't end well. Instead he simply ordered himself a single bowl. "Ayame-san can I have a bowl of Miso Ramen."

Ayame nodded and gave the order to her father at the back. It didn't take that long to finish and was brought to him ready to eat. "Here you go Naruto-kun! Dig in!

Once they had finished with their meals he waited for her to finish since he had no idea what they would do next.

Maki put down her bowl with a smile and stood up motioning to Naruto that it was time to leave. Having waved goodbye to Ayame and the old man she looked at Naruto carefully and mentally agreed with herself that this was the right thing to do. "How about we get you some new clothing Naruto-kun? If you want to eventually become a shinobi you need to look the part foremost. And honestly you have no hopes if you continue wearing that hideous jumpsuit. It's like firing a flare gun in the middle of a pitch black forest! She was surprised at how easily he accepted the fact.

"I suppose you're right Maki-chan. Actually I was planning on going after lunch but going with someone as cute as my sensei is a better plan than going alone don't you think? He laughed as she blushed and a random question plagued his mind. _'I wonder if she's ever had a boyfriend? _

Maki meanwhile was excited at the idea of picking out clothes at her favorite clothing and this time it wasn't for her.

_10 minutes later..._

**Clothing Store**

Naruto was slightly nervous at how the people would react to him since he had never been through this part of town. Fortunately for him the people could care less of his presence and that was something he found amazing. He was brought back from his thoughts by a warm feeling around his shoulder.

"This is where I do all my shopping Naruto-kun. Also don't worry about spending too much since pretty much everything is relatively cheap compared to other department stores." Pushing him from behind they busted through the front doors and were immediately greeted by the owner of the establishment.

With an eerie smile he greeted the both of them into his store. "Welcome young customers. Please have a look at our finest selection of clothing if you're seeking to reinvent yourself. Or perhaps you're here to buy an entire new wardrobe of clothing then all the more power to you my precious customers." His kind demeanor quickly turned serious as his gaze shifted between them. "You must buy something though. No exemptions."

Seeing him attend to his other customers Naruto couldn't help but release a sight of relief. "That guy seemed a little off don't you think Maki-chan?

Maki just shrugged. "You'll get used to it eventually. He does that same speech every time I come here so it's not a big deal anymore. He's actually really nice in a weird sort of way." Not giving him a chance to reply she quickly pulled him into the men clothing section. Ironically even though they were there for him _he_ was the one waiting for _her_ to pick out something that _looked_ right on him.

It didn't take her that long until she found something she thought would look good on him. "Try that out in the changing area over there Naruto-kun. Once you're done come out and show me alright."

Naruto simply nodded and followed her instructions. He silently entered the empty changing room and tried on the outfit she had chosen for him. It consisted of a dark blue undershirt with a black jacket over it and black shinobi pants with steeled toed boots to finish. It was a rather simple outfit but he didn't mind.

Maki couldn't contain her smile when seeing her student come out looking good. "Wow Naruto-kun. That outfit definitely suits you well."

Naruto looked himself over and agreed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence Maki-chan. How about we go pay for them already. Unless you're going to buy something?

The kunochi shook her head negatively and walked towards the front counter to checkout. As soon as they arrived she saw him take out a small froggy that appeared to contain his money. Since she was the one that wanted to pay for him she stopped him. "I'll pay for your outfit Naruto-kun. It's only fair since I was the one who brought you here."

It took him a moment but he finally relented with her generosity and put away his frog wallet. He smiled when he saw her take a small cat purse. _'So she likes cats huh.' _

As they exited the store they had to take a second look as they noticed that it had already became dark. Both of them looked at each other until Naruto suddenly asked. "Can I walk you home Maki-chan?

Maki didn't know what to think but managed to nod and slowly the both of them walked towards her house.

_15 minutes later..._

**Maki's House**

The moon was shining brightly by the time they arrived at her home. Surprisingly it was quite a way's away from his own home. One thing intrigued him as well. "I thought your home would be in the Uchiha District Maki-chan? He wanted to know why her house was outside the compound when everybody who was an Uchiha was inside.

Maki did not answer his question and instead invited him in which he accepted not wanting to upset her.

As soon as he entered he noticed that the house was pretty spacious for someone that was living alone. The living room was directly in front of him and to the left was the kitchen. He presumed that her bedroom was upstairs.

"I'll go make some tea. You can wait here for the meantime Naruto-kun." She motioned him to the large couch which he took readily.

It only took her a few minutes to finish as she began setting the tea on the small table. She carefully poured herself and Naruto a cup. Taking a small sip she started. "Naruto-kun...since I'm going to be around you for quite a while I figured you should know a bit about me."

Seeing him understand she continued.

"As you have probably noticed I live alone. Why do I live alone well when I was about ten both of my parents were killed while out on a mission together. I was never told the specifics as to how they died but the Hokage assured me that they died protecting Konoha. We did live in the compound like you guessed and when they passed on they still allowed me to stay there. However that didn't last long." Her eyes drifted to the empty floor and sighed. "The incident happened while I was coming back from the store. Long story short I was attacked by some random men and I happened to awaken my sharingan because of it. The clan was not pleased by my awakening."

She noticed his confusion. "Their reason for being angry was because I was the first female to awaken the sharingan in a long time. It was common when the great Uchiha Madara was around but in today's age not so much. The following days were not to pleasant for me. They forbid me from having children thinking that my inferior sharingan would only taint the Uchiha's reputation."

Her eyes roamed to the empty walls seemingly gazing beyond them. "You know Naruto-kun. My dream is to someday leave this accursed village and start a family with someone that would cherish my so called curse." With a bitter smile she continued. "I know that's a fools dream. The council has forbid me from ever leaving the village. No matter if its for a mission."

Having finished telling her story her vision shifted to him wanting to know how he had taken it. To her utter shock she simply saw the blond headed boy walk towards the door. "Where the hell are you going Naruto! I just poured my heart out and this is how you're going to act! She unconsciously screamed not believing the young boy's actions right now.

Naruto gripped the door knob and with coldness etched in his voice replied. "You are much to naïve to honestly believe you have it hard Maki-chan. Compared to me you live in a paradise. If you really want achieve your dream then become stronger and rip apart those pathetic rules the council imposes."

Seeing him go through the door after saying that to her pushed her over the edge. "You asshole! What the hell do you about my pain! I had to endure all these years alone and avoided like some damn plague!

He continued walking down the empty streets until she took it one step further.

"What do you know about life? You're just a damn kid! I bet you're jealous that my parents cared about me and yours didn't. If that's the case I'm not surprised at how cold hearted you are. Did I get it right you bastard!

Her eyes reflected blue as she witnessed his body begin to spark and the air around them begin to crackle from the lightning around him. The night sky also darkened and the tension in the air made it almost impossible to breathe. Sensing the danger her sharingan instinctively activated but stopped when she saw him immediately power down.

Breathing out he spoke. "Maki-chan, you and me are more alike than you might think. I too am all alone desperately trying to find a purpose in this world." He smiled as he recalled their time together. "Honestly I was happy that I had someone to hang out with. But...it reminded me of how alone I really am." His smile quickly disappeared and became cold. "You've got to realize something Maki. At least you have plenty of happy memories with your family. That simple thing is something I will never have no matter how strong I become."

Maki's face expressed worry and confusion. She never looked at her situation in that light and it made her realize just how lucky she really was. This also implied that he had never been with his family which deeply saddened her at the realization. Her apology was never said because the boy had already disappeared into the night.

_3 month later..._

**Naruto's Apartment Complex**

The night sky was devoid of any light as the glow of the moon washed over the silent village. A single figure was atop the large building. His eyes unwavering and simply gazing towards the empty sky that seemed to mock him. Ever since his confrontation with Maki things had never been the same. She still trained him either ways but things were very professional having lost all sense of friendship that they had started at. It was like they both wanted to apologize to each other but couldn't. Pride was a major part to actually admitting that you were wrong.

He knew that he needed to apologize since it was his fault things got to that point to begin with. He detested this new side of him of always being angry on the inside. He didn't know where all this anger had come from but he did know when it started. That night during his confrontation with Maki is where his shifting emotions began. He noticed the villagers had also cut back on their mindless glares and such. It was as if they could sense the change in him and it made them fear him even more.

He did not want people to be afraid of him no matter how shitty they treated him to begin with. It was as if they thought that at any moment he would snap and kill them for looking him the wrong way. Of course he would never do that but unfortunately that was the way they saw him now.

His thoughts were interrupted when his hands began to shake as he struggled to keep his power under control. It was as if they thirsted for blood if any excitement came his way. This feeling gnawed on his mind constantly making him more aware of his emotions or risk unleashing something even he was afraid of. Constantly having to suppress his emotions came at a huge price. People saw him as a cold hearted individual. Even when meeting people that he knew already they would still keep their distance from him. His own sensei had as well become a bit wary of him even though she had known him since the very beginning of his transformation.

The only silver lining in this situation was the fact that the power that he had been gifted was steadily growing powerful each passing day. His detection skills had risen and his control over his lightning had grown significantly. He could now manifest it into either offensive or defensive forms. His spars with Maki had also become one sided. This fact deeply confused his young sensei believing it impossible that she would lose to him in such a small time frame. It was unheard of that a kid with no academy training whatsoever was able to keep up with a veteran genin.

Even the powerful Jounin were intrigued with him. They had witnessed his lightning powers and claimed they had never seen someone so young have that much control over the element. They constantly praised him for his power for one so young but warned him of his cold demeanor towards others. They lectured him on how he needed to be more involved but the only thing he could think about was keeping under control.

A thunderous roar hit his ears as the sky opened up and poured icy cold rain. Even though he was drenched he didn't mind. In his mind this was a sort of reminder that he was still alive. Standing up he looked in front of him and in the blink of an eye vanished into the night. The rain quickly washed away his scent leaving no evidence he was there in the first place.

**A/N: And scene. If you thought this chapter was bit too angsty I don't blame you. However I needed to portray that Naruto is struggling hence his changing emotions. Don't worry this won't be happening that often. Once again I thank you and please look forward to another chapter. Until next time BlackCrow Out! **


	5. Lingering Threats

**Cerulean Knight****: **With his control over lightning will Naruto be able to pull off moves like the ones from say Infamous or the SWTFU series?

**Interesting question indeed. I'm glad my Naruto reminded you of infamous because I thoroughly enjoy that game. Whether or not his move set will be similar remains to be seen. **

**A/N: I welcome you once again to another chapter of my story. As you can see above I will pick interesting reviews and reply to them every chapter. If there is none then I will not. Do not worry about me adding a gazillion reviews onto the chapter. At max it will be two. Hope you enjoy. **

**Lingering Threats**

**Empty Streets in Konoha**

Naruto silently reappeared in a barren street filled with the silence of the night. His muscles tensed a bit when he felt several signatures close behind him. Not wanting to alert them he merely continued to walk at a steady pace undisturbed by the quiet shadows watching him closely. He was curious as to why they were following him so discretely.

Even though he had his back to them he wasn't worried about being attacked. His greater control of his power allowed him to change his lightning into a sort of shield that could pretty much block most physical attacks. This new ability to protect himself from harm was far from perfect. He needed to have a clear mind for it to work and in the heat of battle that was difficult to attain. Nevertheless, through constant practice it was becoming easier to summon in actual battle.

The pelting of the rain hitting the dirt ground was the only sound that could be heard. His entire body was drenched in the liquid making his new clothes stick tightly to his body. His blue eyes caught light of the lone stairs that lead up the Hokage Mountains. This single place was one of the few places he could feel comfortable being at. The old man was the one that had brought him there when he had been admitted into the orphanage. He remembers being reassured by him that everything would be okay from now on. He didn't have to worry anymore and that he would protect him. Of course his naïve old self was just mesmerized by his words and believed him without a second thought. Now that he thought about it things only got harder from that day on.

_5 minutes later..._

A nostalgic smile filled his face at seeing the familiar scene before him. _'This place hasn't changed one bit since I came here with the old man ages ago. Kind of makes you wonder if this place will ever change? _His smile waned as he stood atop the stone head of one of the greatest shinobi of his generation...his father of course. He knew that the Yondaime otherwise known as Namikaze Minato was his father. It was hard to avoid when your mind throws you constant images of him through his dreams. One thing he noticed was that his dreams had eerily become more real as the weeks passed. It was a constant reminder that his family was gone.

He went through phases where he blamed his parents for the curse they had given him. It didn't last long since he knew that his parents loved him and wanted for him to succeed no matter what. That tidbit of information was the only thing that was keeping him from falling into insanity. His bright blue eyes peeked over into the village below him. It was dark for the most part except for the several 24/7 stores that were scattered throughout. Even the Hokage Mansion was dark. _'Even the most powerful people in the village need their sleep as well.' _

Leaning his head back he closed his eyes and felt the cold rain hit his face. Various questions always plagued his mind whenever he was alone like this. Like what exactly were his dreams in life apart from avenging his parents deaths. But what was _his _goal. Ever since he could remember he only wanted to get stronger just to be left alone. The dream of getting stronger was still very much alive. However, since acquiring these lightning powers from his parents that goal had waned a bit.

His personality it seemed had taken the most dramatic change. The last couple months he noticed he had become more serious. Gone were his days of being goofy and childish. His dream of becoming Hokage had all but crumbled thinking that the adults would never accept him unless he did something dramatic.

Opening his eyes he smelled the cold atmosphere that radiated from the storm. It gave him a sensation of utter peace. It made him feel that he belonged in the storm and the wild lightning that filled it. Raising his hand into the sky a sudden bolt enveloped him making him feel invincible. He had always wanted to try that but the lack of thunderstorms in Konoha prevented him. Bringing his arm down he struggled to control the lightning flowing through him. It made his body glow a brilliant blue indicating just how much energy was inside him right now.

Feeling the energy settle down a bit his eyes traveled behind him and into the various trees. "Make it easy on yourselves and show yourself. You can't fool my senses." His eyes narrowed when seeing several mysterious figures fully geared in Anbu gear with intimidating animal masks to keep their identity a secret.

A single man separated himself from the group and walked towards him. Bowing to him he spoke. "Uzumaki-san, we were sent here by our leader to make you an offer. Our master gives you the opportunity to become his protege and train under him. He is a very powerful man and this will in turn make you even stronger."

Naruto scoffed at his assumption. "Tell me something Anbu-san. Does your master know what I'm capable of?

The masked Anbu remained calm unaffected of his tone. "Our master has many eyes and knows that you have potential to become even stronger Uzumaki-san."

The boy hummed at his assumption. "So tell me what I have to do for this master of yours to train me Anbu-san?

The masked figure smirked behind his mask thinking he had the boy in his hands. "You must kill your current sensei. Uchiha Maki I believe her name was. Do this and you are guaranteed to become stronger than ever before."

Naruto's expression changed dramatically at the mention of Maki's name. His eyes screamed death to the Anbu in front of him at mentioning her name. With cold eyes he answered them with a deathly tone. "_**I refuse**_."

The leader of the mysterious Anbu group remained silent as if he expected what his answer was going to be already. "Very well Uzumaki-san. The offer will still stand if you happen to change your mind. Kill the Uchiha and your power will increase beyond your wildest imagination."

Naruto laughed at the mans statement. "Very well Anbu-san. Let me demonstrate just how much power I am capable of unleashing by killing you all." He growled dangerously and vanished from their sights.

The last thing the group of Anbu witnessed was a brilliant blue flash falling from the heavens aimed directly for them. The lightning strike was so devastating it completely incinerated them on impact.

The boy reappeared and merely gazed at the scorched ground where the group had been standing just seconds ago. He watched as the ashes flew into the air leaving nothing behind.

**Deep Underground**

A shadowed figure waited patiently for his team to return from their mission. His expectation were high. Believing they would come back quickly but as the time ticked on it seemed unlikely. The man sat in complete darkness until it was broken when another shadow joined the mysterious man.

Kneeling he reported to his master. "Danzo-sama. It seems that Uzumaki-san has declined the offer."

The shadow now identified as Danzo continued to stare at his fellow Root subordinate. "I figured that he would not comply with the offer easily. What happened to the original team I sent out?

The kneeling figure responded to his master. "They were killed by the boy."

Danzo didn't flinch at his words but on the inside his mind was racing. _'How is it possible that he has this much power? _Standing up the man walked deeper into the shadows. "It seems we need to get our hands dirty if we're to convince him."

**(With Naruto)**

Naruto had long since descended the mountains and was once again in the empty streets. His mind was filled with questions. _'Why do they want to kill Maki? It doesn't make any sense. I need to prevent that from happening at any cost.' _As he continued walking through the empty streets his ears picked up a faint cry coming from a small child. He quickly jumped onto the roof and leaped across them trying to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. It only took him a few seconds to sense the child. Jumping down he was met with the presence of what appeared to be a child about the age of four.

She was trembling fiercely as the downpour pelted the deteriorating roof that was barely shielding her from the ice cold rain.

Taking his jacket off he gently covered the shivering girl.

The small girl jumped in surprise at the sudden warmth and was startled by the blond headed boy staring at her with a worried expression. "W-who a-are y-you? The small girl said through shaking teeth.

Smiling he knelt down and answered the scared girl. "You can call me Naruto. What's your name?

The girl caught his friendly tone and decided it was okay to answer him. "My n-name is Chi."

Naruto nodded. "That's a very unique name Chi. Don't you think?

The girl seemed to take offense to his reply. Puffing her cheeks she shouted back. "W-well yours is weirder than mine. For your information most people say my name is cute!

Naruto patted her head and agreed. "I guess you're right. But you've got to admit that Chi isn't the most common name in this village either right."

Chi continued to sport her mock anger but was snapped out of it by the boy's sudden change in tone.

"Chi, can you tell why you're here all alone in the middle of the night? Where are your parents anyways?

Chi looked down in sorrow. "I don't have any parents. I ran away from the orphanage a couple hours ago."

Naruto removed his hands from her head and stood up. "Chi you must return to the orphanage or you will die here understand." He coldly told her not wanting to see a small child die out here in the cold all alone.

The girl began screaming uncontrollably. "I don't want to return to that bad place! They treat me bad and never let me out of my room! Always saying that I'm too much trouble to handle. All I want is to play with other kids and have fun..."

His eyes narrowed as he watched her begin crying. "Do you know why they treat you like that Chi? What happened to your parents? Did you ever meet them?

As her sobbing stopped she replied. "I don't know why they treat me like that. I never knew my parents. They said they died fighting for me and the village."

Hearing her story he decided on a course of action. "Lets go to my home and dry off. I'll let you stay there for the night and tomorrow I promise to find out what's happening in the orphanage. Does that sound good?

Her tear filled eyes looked at him in shock. Suddenly she jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly.

The boy was caught off guard so badly that he clumsily fell straight on his back.

The girl quickly got off of him and apologized profusely. "Sorry big brother! I didn't mean to make you fall down. I was just excited that I was going to stay with you tonight." She blushed and scratched her head in embarrassment.

This act reminded him of someone he used to know. Standing himself up he waved her off. "Don't worry about me Chi. You just surprised me that's all."

The girl nodded and grabbed his open hand as they headed back to the boy's home.

As they walked home he spoke. "Chi, can I ask you a question?

The girl looked up in wonder and nodded unaware of seriousness in his tone of voice.

"Are you happy in that orphanage?

Her happy attitude changed into one of confusion but still answered him. "No...they always treat me like I'm trouble. Always keeping me in my room for no reason. Its not only me that they treat this way though."

Naruto remained quiet as he heard the girl saying they treated them all the same. It made him wonder just how much the orphanage that was meant to give orphaned children another chance had fallen.

As they continued to walk in silence it was Chi this time to ask a question of her own. "Big brother! Why did you ask Chi such a weird question?

"No reason. Just wanted to know about your situation a bit."

Chi happily nodded and asked another question. "Big brother! Why are you so quiet?

Naruto smiled at her curiosity. "Its the way I am Chi."

Once again the curious girl asked him another question. "Big brother! Do you have any friends?

Naruto's smile vanished as his eyes drifted towards dark sky. "I guess you could say that I don't really have any."

The girl squeezed his hand tighter and cheerfully declared. "Then Chi can be your friend right!

The boy closed his eyes and shook his head in amusement. "If you would allow it then I would be honored to have you as my friend."

_10 minutes later..._

**Outside Naruto's Home**

The rain had subsided substantially as the both of them stood outside the large apartment complex. He could feel the girls hands tremble. "Are you cold?

Chi shook her head negatively and whispered. "This place is scary big brother. Do you really live here?

Naruto looked back at the complex and admitted that it indeed looked rather scary especially in the dark. "It only looks like that because it's dark Chi. I promise once the sun comes up it will look normal." Having assured her it was safe both of them headed up the stairs and entered the place. Locking the door behind him he advised. "Go ahead and take a shower before you go to bed Chi. You don't want to sleep in those wet clothes right?

The girl frantically swayed her head and dashed right for the bathroom while the boy went to his bedroom to find some clothing for the girl to wear. Fortunately he still had some of his old pajamas from when he was her age. Grabbing them he went to the bathroom door and slipped them under it.

It only took her a couple minutes until he heard the bathroom door swing open. He was greeted with a fully clothed Chi as she entered his room. Noticing there was only one bed available she asked. "Big brother! Where am I supposed to sleep?

Naruto had his back against the wall. He pointed at the bed and told her. "You're going to sleep in that bed Chi."

Chi looked confused. "But...where are you going to sleep then big brother?

The boy dismissed her concern. "Don't worry about it Chi. You go ahead and sleep."

Chi hesitantly agreed with him. She tip toed to the bed and jumped in. Snuggling under the warm covers she relaxed. "Big brother! Where are your parents?

Still standing against the wall he replied coldly. "There gone Chi."

The small girl frowned at his tone. "Big brother...are you happy?

With a bitter smile he answered the curious girl honestly. "No. Sorry if that's not the answer you were looking for Chi."

The small girl closed her eyes and whispered. "Good night big brother. I'll try my hardest to make you happy."

Seeing her go to sleep the boy closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him.

**Naruto's Mindscape**

He was once again pulled into his mind but things were different than the other times he was here. Countless dead bodies wearing different headbands surrounded him. "What is this...? He whispered unsure of how this horrible scene was caused. He grabbed his ears in pain as a loud screech boomed throughout the graveyard. **"This is the **_**FUTURE**_**! **

Naruto awoke suddenly as he struggled to relax his breathing after the nightmare he had just experienced. His mind raced trying to figure out what exactly he had dreamed. He remembered thousands upon thousands of fresh corpses lying there. The horrible stench of death filled his nostrils to the brim. Was this a sign of things to come or just another nightmare. Either way his mind was warning him that something was coming and he needed to prepare if he hoped to prevent whatever tragedy waited him.

**A/N: And scene. Sorry if its a bit too short but I felt that this was the right place to stop for now. Next chapter will come soon so please look forward to that. Please leave your thoughts in the form of a review or pm. Until next time BlackCrow out! **


	6. Unexpected Mission

**Authors Note: Welcome once again to another chapter of my story. Hope you enjoy and until next time. **

**Unexpected Mission**

_The next day..._

The morning light pierced through his window as it peeked over the large Hokage Mountains. His breathing had become stable once again as his vision drifted to the small child on his bed. Thankfully she hadn't awoken from his sudden nightmare. In fact she was still snuggled against the large covers that no doubt kept her warm throughout the cold night. His eyes shifted to the small clock sitting beside his bed reading 8:00AM. It was still very early to go pay the old man a visit and see if he could fix Chi's problem.

Knowing he wasn't going back to sleep he silently made his way to the bathroom. He didn't want to wake the girl just yet but to his surprise the small girl awoke herself.

The girl stared at him with fright filled eyes which was immediately followed by a horrified scream. It honestly sounded like something was hurting her. The thing was that nothing was even remotely close to her that could cause her pain.

Not waiting for the answer to come to him he ran to her and held her. He tried to reassure her that everything was okay but she didn't seem to hear his voice.

The girl screamed for them to leave her alone. Who that _them _was he had no idea. His gaze hardened at the revelation and gently soothed the crying girl.

Eventually she stopped shaking and brought her tear filled eyes towards him. Her frightened visage quickly vanished and was replaced with a genuine smile. "Big brother...why are you holding me? And why are you looking at me with an angry face? Did Chi do something wrong? She hanged her head in shame believing she was going to get scolded by the boy but to her surprise that never came.

Raising her little head he locked eyes with her. "I will never be mad at you Chi. You're to cute to be mad at." He complimented the small girl in hopes that she would understand.

Chi simply stared at the blond headed boy and his gentle smile made her blush in admiration. That was also the first time that anyone told her she was cute. This small compliment was enough to bring her to tears at the precious moment. "T-thank y-you b-big brother. Y-you don't know h-how much that m-means to m-me." She stumbled through her words as the tears continued to pour down her face.

Naruto just nodded and felt even more determined to solve the girls problem. He gently brought his hands to her hands and wiped away her teary eyes. "Anytime Chi. Now since you're already up how about you jump into the shower and get started on our day."

His kind smile encouraged the small girl to momentarily forget about her past and look forward for the future. Smiling she jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to get ready for the day just like her big brother had told her.

Naruto meanwhile decided to prepare breakfast for the both of them. His new powers didn't give him magical cooking skills but he still knew the basics. It was a very simple breakfast that consisted of eggs, bacon and some toast. To drink he poured himself a glass of orange juice. Not wanting to waste unnecessary time he finished his meal fairly quickly. He put the girl's own plate at the table so she could enjoy her meal as soon as she came out of her hot shower.

Not a moment sooner the small girl came out of the bathroom fully clothed in last nights outfit that had dried overnight. It consisted of a normal plain white shirt with some black pants.

He knew that she had worn those same clothing for a while. Them being faded and almost falling apart from the seams was a major indicator. Of course he didn't reveal his frustration but on the inside he was pissed at the lack of care that the orphanage provided for these children.

The girl noticed his stare but didn't have a chance to question him. The smell of freshly made breakfast was enough to draw her in hook line and sinker. Dashing towards the table she saw a plate full of yummy food. Her eyes went to the boy's own wanting to know if it was her food. Getting a nod of approval she immediately dug in. It didn't take her that long to finish her meal which she then took the plate to the kitchen sink to wash them.

Naruto intently washed as Chi hummed a gentle tune while she washed her dirty dish. It was cute to see the small girl use a small ladder just to reach the sink but on the other hand a question lingered. Why would a child know how to wash dishes and voluntarily wash them. "Chi, who taught you how to wash dishes?

Chi continued to hum and wash but still answered him. "Oh! They teach us to wash our own dishes after we eat. They always say that it will teach us to be more responsible."

With that said he walked to the bathroom to take a shower of his own and let her finish what she was doing.

_30 minutes later..._

Having finished taking his shower he motioned her to follow him out the door so they could leave. It was already past eight so it was a good time to head out.

Hopping off the large couch she went to the TV and shut it off. She then walked to the boy and headed out the door hearing it lock securely behind them. As they reached the bottom of the stairs the girl couldn't help but laugh. "You were right big brother. Your home isn't so scary once the sun is up."

Naruto chuckled and for the first time examined the small girl. She had very dark black hair that rested nicely on her shoulders. Her big brown eyes screamed cuteness if anybody stared at them for too long. Of course being only four she was much shorter than him and it made it seem like a big brother was taking her little sister to school or something.

Both made their way to the Hokage Mansion when suddenly he put her behind his back feeling several presences quickly approaching them ahead. Narrowing his eyes he saw the familiar Konoha Anbu land and wondered what they would want with him so early.

This all seemed eerily familiar as a single Anbu came forward and knelt before him. "Excuse us Uzumaki-san. The Hokage insisted for you to meet with him right now regarding an important matter that has occurred."

Even though he was still suspicious he had to agree with the Anbu. He was going there anyways so it wasn't a huge loss at all.

Seeing his cooperation he approached him and lightly grabbed his shoulder. In an instant all of them disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

**Hokage Offices**

In another swirl of leaves they reappeared inside his office. The Anbu who took them there knelt before his leader and reported in. "Hokage-sama. I have brought him as you requested."

Sarutobi nodded and waved for him to leave as his job was completed. Seeing his subordinate leave his attention went to the boy who was looking at him with disinterest. "Welcome Naruto-kun. I haven't seen you in several months. How is it going in your training with Maki?

Naruto gave him a clear answer. "I have learned many things from Maki, Hokage-sama. This in turn has made me stronger as a result."

The Hokage reached under his desk and grabbed his pipe. Taking a long puff he exhaled the smoke and nodded with his answer. As he put his pipe down he noticed another figure standing behind the boy. Only her head could be seen undoubtedly wanting to hear their conversation. He was intrigued as to who this small child was and what she was doing with him of all people. "Naruto-kun...who is that girl behind you?

Naruto stepped aside and allowed the shy girl to present herself.

"...Ummm...h-hello there Hokage-sama. My name is Chi and its an h-honor to meet you."

Sarutobi smiled at the young girl as she presented herself to him. His eyes shifted back to the boy wanting to know why she was with him to begin with. "Why is this girl with you Naruto-kun?

"While I was heading home I heard a cry for help. So of course I went to investigate and that's when I found Chi huddled under an abandoned building trying to keep dry. I knew she couldn't survive if left alone so I took her in for the night and now here we are."

The Hokage nodded in understanding and reached into this desk to search for the file that belonged to the small girl. He had heard that name before but he just didn't know where he had heard it. Spotting the stack that contained all the information pertaining to all the villagers he sighed heavily knowing how long it would take to find a specific file. The powerful man noticed she was clinging to the boy's jacket as if she had known him her entire life. Thinking quick he asked. "Naruto-kun may I ask you for a favor?

Naruto didn't know what exactly the old man was scheming but he knew he couldn't deny him. "Go ahead Hokage-sama."

"Can you take care of Chi at least until I sort out her situation. Don't worry it won't be too long. A couple of days should do it."

The small girl looked like she was about to explode from happiness at the news. She was so happy she couldn't help but embrace his body. Her joy quickly settled down as she noticed the boy was expressionless seemingly thinking over what he was told. She sighed in relief when she noticed a small smile creep up his face as he looked to her and knelt down.

"Do you want to stay with me while the old man sorts out your situation Chi? I won't force you into staying but my house will always be open to you whenever you feel like stopping by. So what do you say Chi? He smiled at her but was confused when he saw her begin to cry. "What's the matter Chi? Aren't you happy you get to stay with me for a couple days?

The crying girl quickly recovered and shook her head with a smile. "D-don't be silly big brother! I was only crying because I thought this would be the last time I would see you again. I'm happy that I get to stay with you and I plan to make the most of it. You'll see big brother! It's going to be awesome! She shouted at him clearly excited by her situation which made the boy relax.

The boy's eyes went back to the old man. "I accept your task Hokage-sama but I have a favor of my own."

The Hokage waved his hand for him to proceed with his request.

Seeing this Naruto told the girl to take a seat on one of the couches inside the office not wanting to bother her with all the details.

Chi slowly walked to one of the empty couches and plopped her butt down and watched her big brother move towards the Hokage and begin to talk with him.

Naruto stared right into the Hokage's eyes with a look that could break anyone into a sweat over the sheer intensity. "Hokage-sama...I need you to personally check on the orphanage and make sure they are treating the children fairly."

Sarutobi's gaze hardened hearing the boy's suspicious tone about the orphanage. He couldn't blame him on his suspicion since the boy himself had received poor treatment a couple years ago. He also guessed that this directly correlated to the young girl dangling her feet in the couch. Accepting his request his eyes drifted to the young girl playing with her legs. "I suppose this has to do with Chi correct?

Naruto nodded to the man impressed at how fast he had deducted that.

Sarutobi stood up and walked to one of the many large windows that inhabited his office. It was a great source of sunlight but it also gave him the best view of his village. His brief peacefulness was interrupted when he heard a loud commotion coming directly outside his office. He sighed knowing exactly who it was.

**(With Maki)**

Both women were having a face off at this moment. "What do you mean I'm not allowed to go inside! What's the damn problem this time?! I've always been allowed in." Maki slammed the woman's desk feeling frustrated at being denied access.

The beautiful secretary defiantly stood in front of the frustrated girl. "Sorry Maki-san. The Hokage has informed me to not allow anyone inside while he has his meeting. So I would appreciate if you kept your voice down and wait your turn." The woman gave her a false smile which was matched immediately.

Maki rushed forward and busted through the doors despite being told otherwise. Her initial victory smile waned when she saw her student inside. Immediately the thoughts of that night came rushing into her mind. It had been months since the incident but she still felt that she needed to apologize.

The boy's eyes caught her figure and knew what she was thinking about. Walking to her he bowed and apologized. "I think its time I apologize for the way I acted months ago. I took out my frustration on you when clearly you knew nothing about me. Forgive me Maki-chan."

Maki was surprised at his apology and would've never thought he would be the one to give in first. His brilliant blue eyes made her shy away in embarrassment. "Its okay Naruto-kun. I also need to apologize for saying all those insensitive things to you."

Naruto felt some relief at finally being able to bury the hatchet after so many months of awkwardness.

"By the way Naruto-kun. Why didn't you show up for morning practice today? Why are you even here anyways? She asked the boy curious for his reason of being here so early.

The blond headed boy motioned for Chi who was staring intently at her.

Hopping off the couch she ran towards his back only poking her head out to see the older girl.

Naruto smiled at her reaction and knew he needed to explain the situation himself. "I was assigned to take care of her for at least a couple days. Until her situation is taken care of she is with me. Right Chi." He smiled to the little girl who cheerfully nodded back.

Maki was very confused with the situation. "Not to be rude or anything but why would a kid be assigned to take care of another kid? Her question was met with a fierce glare from the boy making her squirm under his intense gaze and quickly realized her mistake. He didn't want her to know just yet.

Chi looked confused at what the big girl had said and looked to her big brother for some clearance. "Big brother. What does she mean that you're a kid yourself?

The boy in question didn't remove his gaze from the red headed girl. "It was just a joke Chi. Isn't she funny?

The small girl laughed. "She must be very funny since you don't act like a kid at all big brother! You're always so cool and know exactly what to say all the time."

Naruto's attention went back to the old man when he sensed another person join the room. He noticed the look of aggravation on the old man and knew whatever the Anbu was whispering to him was not good news.

Finishing relaying his message the masked Anbu disappeared.

Sarutobi removed himself from the large window and walked back to his desk. Grabbing some paperwork he motioned for the curious boy to step forward. "I realize this is sudden but the council feels you need to be tested with a mission. They hope you gain some much needed experience in dealings in a hazardous situation."

To say he was surprised would be an understatement. He wasn't the only one to feel this way. His sensei just behind him couldn't believe that they would give him a mission so early on. Especially if it meant he could be killed.

Plugging the girls ears she yelled her concerns with the old man. "What the fuck are you thinking sending a kid who hasn't even started the academy on a mission! He could be killed old man! She insisted trying to persuade him to somehow change his mind. Her concerns went unheard as Sarutobi's eyes never left the boys own.

It was the boy who looked at her and could see she was pleading with him to deny the mission. "Maki-chan you know better than anyone just how much stronger I have become. You have taught me everything you could and now I want you to believe in me."

She was speechless and decided she would do just that and prayed that he succeeded unharmed.

Seeing her accept his eyes traveled back to the Hokage's own and clearly voiced his decision. "I accept Hokage-sama and will achieve whatever this mission requires of me."

Sarutobi nodded confidently and explained to him just what this mission required of him. "You will be heading towards the Land of Sound. Better known as the village of Otogakure. There you will meet a contact that will tell you the rest understood?

Seeing him understand he continued. "You have two days to prepare. Use them well and gather all the necessary things you need to survive for at least a month." Standing back up he walked to the large windows once again and dismissed them all. Seeing them exit he flared his chakra and instantly a single Anbu appeared.

The masked Anbu raised his head and spoke in a monotone voice. "Hokage-sama...is it wise to send the child on such a dangerous mission? His powers are still a mystery after all."

Sarutobi let out a tired sigh agreeing with the Anbu entirely. "Of course I don't condemn the decision to send an inexperienced shinobi into enemy territory but my hands are tied. The whole damn council think its best to test him while hes still young." His eyes hardened on what he was about to say. "I feel that the boy is hiding his true potential from us. It worrisome that he might be more powerful than he lets on."

The masked Anbu nodded with his superior. "What made you come to this conclusion Hokage-sama?

"His body language tells me that he is not in the least afraid. Not even towards me. I feel something dark hidden deep within him wanting to come out. He is clearly struggling to keep his power in check." Motioning him to stand he commanded. "I'm sending you unofficially on this mission as well. I want you to watch him closely and protect him if anything comes his way that he can't handle. Do you agree...Itachi-kun?

Ominous blood red eyes glowed from the masks eye holes. "Hai Hokage-sama."

**Authors Note: And scene. Well tell me what you think and all that jazz. Good things are coming so please look forward to the next chapter. Until next time BlackCrow Out!**


	7. Departure

**Authors Note: Welcome once again to another chapter in my story. Nothing much to say but I hope you enjoy nonetheless. **

_2 days later..._

**Departure**

**Naruto's Bedroom**

Naruto was resting his eyes in preparation for the upcoming mission. This would mark the very first time that he would ever go on a mission. The fact that it was outside the village was also a first. Oddly he felt more at peace than he had ever felt before. His body felt no fear and his mind was calm throughout this whole experience. It also didn't hurt his spirits to spend the last couple days with both Maki and Chi. They diligently did everything in their power to prepare him for the mission but also enjoy the time he had left in the village. It was honestly an enjoyable time with the girls and it almost felt like they were a family. He even cracked a few smiles much to the joy of Chi who shouted in victory that she had kept her promise.

His eyes wandered to the girl in question who was peacefully sleeping in his bed. It was a pleasant change to have someone other than himself in his house. It made the place more lively that's for sure. But he had noticed that being alone also brought him comfort. He would go so far as to say that Maki and Chi were his friends. They would constantly tell him what they thought was right and wrong. What was good to eat and what was bad for you. It was like they were his parents constantly bickering with each other over what was better for him. Maki and Chi had also become very close these past few days.

Since he had told Maki how he had met Chi she was always trying to act like a big sister to her and sometimes even like a mother. They were like peanut butter and jelly. If ones missing the others lonely. The small girl would always ask him if they were going to see Maki today. The few times he told her no she would literally show her opinion on how she felt. She would often hide under the covers and sulk the entire day watching TV. Sometimes she even ignored him making him feel guilty until he eventually relented and they went to visit her.

Removing his eyes from the girl he noticed that it was seven in the morning. That gave him a little bit of extra time before they needed to head out. The old man had informed him that he would be waiting for him in front of the gates to send him on his way. Holding his arms up he thought. _'The use of my powers will undoubtedly be required in this mission. This would be the best opportunity to test them to the absolute limit and see just how much I can handle.' _Breathing he concentrated his energy to his arms and were instantly enveloped by a blue hue of lightning. His eyes glowed a brilliant blue as he watched the lightning spark dangerously.

Calming down he stood up and walked to the bathroom to take a quick shower before the small girl woke up. Or worse, Maki could barge into the apartment without a second thought of his privacy. She would always say that it was her duty to wake him up or he would be late if she didn't. Of course this was a blatant excuse to come see him but he didn't mind it at all. It was pleasant to have someone worry about you even for a little. Smiling at the thought he opened the door and quietly closed the door behind him.

His eyes lingered on his reflection and couldn't help but take in on just how much he had changed these past few months. His whole life had literally changed that night and all the malicious glares from the villagers had disappeared. It was certainly a welcomed change in his mind and never again did he have to fear being attacked while walking home at night. His eyes had lost the naivety and excitement that once filled them. Now they were cold and calculating. He knew his powers had something to do with the change but he wasn't sure why. Finishing his self introspect he undressed and hopped into the ice cold water. Surprisingly it didn't even faze him and actually preferred it.

_15 minutes later..._

Reaching for a towel he dried himself and wrapped it around his waist having forgotten to bring in clothes. Because of this forgetfulness he now had to risk waking up Chi. Not having any choice he went into the room and silently walked to the dresser. Gripping the handle he carefully pulled it back hoping it would be silent. Unfortunately it seemed that because he pulled it out so slowly it made even more noise resulting in the small girl waking up.

Chi slowly pulled the large covers from her head and lazily sat up. Her groggy eyes focused on the sight of Naruto's half naked body and quickly jumped back under her covers. "B-big brother! Why do you only have a towel! Did the monsters eat your clothes again?!

Naruto sweat dropped and sighed. "Sorry for waking you up Chi. No the monsters did not eat my clothes. I just forgot to bring them to the bathroom. Now go back to sleep we still have plenty of time before the human alarm clock comes and wakes us up."

The frightened girl nodded with his reasoning not really sure what to believe. This was the first time she had seen him without a shirt.

Naruto noticed the girl was still watching him but didn't let it bother him. Getting his clothes he went back to the bathroom to change before the little girls mind exploded or something.

Chi watched him walk back and as soon as he disappear she threw a fist into the air in victory. Maki had made a bet with her to see who would catch Naruto without his shirt. The red head thought she had it in the bag when they went to the public bath yesterday but unfortunately it didn't go as planned. The boy had decided that he didn't want to take a bath and just wanted to go home. This left the both of them sulking the entire time.

This didn't get her down for long though since she knew she was going to win this bet. She lived with him so it was just a matter of time but she certainly didn't expect to be woken up to victory. She didn't complain as this meant that now Maki had to reward her with a free dinner and she eagerly looked forward it. It would be the first time ever she went to an actual restaurant besides Ichiraku.

Her smile disappeared as her eyes lingered on the bathroom door where her big brother was preparing for his mission. Even though she was still a little girl she knew that this would be the last time she would see him for a while. She really wanted to go to dinner with him and Maki to celebrate but it was too late. Her smile quickly returned as she saw her big brother step out from the bathroom. She didn't want to make him feel bad for her. And she definitely did not want for him to leave on a sad note. She needed to show him she supported his decision to make him leave in a happy note.

Naruto stepped out of the bathroom now wearing a simple black cape over his clothing. He had gotten it in case it rained which probably would happen. He smiled as he saw Chi pull out her new clothing that Maki had bought her yesterday. When he told her about her situation she was beyond pissed at how the place meant to give hope was being managed. So she made it her personal mission to take care of the little girl in place of him which the Hokage happily complied.

Finishing grabbing her new clothes she felt her big brother point her to the bathroom. Hugging her new clothes to her chest she followed his suggestion and went to the bathroom.

He chuckled at seeing the small girl zoom past him and shut the door behind her. With a smile still on his face he went to the kitchen to make some breakfast. It was the same thing he had done the last time he had done breakfast. Chi was sure to remind him that she was getting tired of the same thing every morning and had asked him if he could give something different. His answer was a simple no and that was the end of the story. Finishing his meal he made sure to ready the girls meal to be ready whenever she got out.

She soon came out and went straight to the table and like always made sure it was her plate. Seeing it was she didn't waste any time in digging in.

Letting out a happy sigh of content she quickly hopped to her feet and grabbed her plate. She walked to the kitchen sink and washed both of their plates. He had tried to tell her that it was unnecessary to wash his own plate for him but she always insisted telling him that it was the least she could do for letting her stay at his home.

As he watched her wash with a happy expression his eyes drifted towards the small clock that hanged above the living room couch. It was almost time for them to head out where the old man would be waiting to see him off. His attention quickly changed as the sound of banging echoed in his small apartment. The sound was coming from his front door and he already knew who it was behind it. Once again it made him smile that someone would actually wake up this early just to make sure he was ready.

The small girl also heard the racket and she as well knew who it was. Finishing the dishes she quickly hopped off the small ladder and joined her big brother towards the door.

As the boy opened the door he was greeted with a joyful Maki who managed to surprise him when she brought out a wrapped lunch box containing many neatly sliced sandwiches for his mission. He didn't really need this much food but it was the thought that counted. Giving her a kind smile he accepted her generous gift. "Thanks for the lunch Maki-chan. I'll make sure none of it goes to waste." He carefully stuffed it into his backpack.

The red headed girl just nodded and blushed at his appreciation for making him lunch. Her thoughts quickly changed when Chi jumped in front of her with a cheeky smile.

The small girl closed in on her and whispered in her ear so that the boy wouldn't hear their conversation. "Guess what Maki? This morning I saw big brother without his shirt on! You know what that means right! She childishly poked her in the stomach until the red headed girl finally gave in and succumbed to defeat.

"Fine! You win this round little brat but don't get too excited yet. I still haven't decided where the dinner will be." Maki said triumphantly.

Her quick comeback fell on deaf ears as the little girl continued smiling in victory. "I don't mind where you take me Maki. This will be the first time I get to go to an actual restaurant. And I get to go with a friend!

Maki remained silent and became upset at the thought of her being all alone all this time. It was the same with her and Naruto. Regaining her smile she promised. "Alright I get it brat. I'll take you somewhere so fancy that you'll remember it forever! And trust me its better when you go with friends than by yourself right Naruto-kun? She asked hoping for some back up but she was disappointed. The boy in question had already went down the stairs and was heading straight for the village gates.

Both of them saw his body fluctuate with very faint lightning while he walked to the gates. This only meant that the boy was tense for the upcoming mission instead of being relaxed like he needed to be. Maki's attention was forced down when she felt a tug on her sweater.

"Maki why does blue stuff appear around big brothers body? I noticed it when he was mad or when he was just sitting there in the dark when we went to bed." The girl asked interested on what was going on with her big brothers body.

Maki smiled at her curiosity but her smile quickly disappeared as she gazed at his retreating form. "That blue stuff that you mentioned is his power. Its lightning like you see in the skies when it rains."

The small girl tilted her head in confusion at her explanation. "Umm...so...is big brother strong?

Maki just nodded but in reality she didn't know just how strong the boy was. Sure they had spared many times and recently he had been victorious without question. But oddly though he had never used his lightning powers. "There's no question whether hes strong or not. The true question is just how strong he is Chi."

The small girls eyes went towards the boys form and in her mind she thought nothing could stop her big brother. Ever since she had met him he had always been cool and calm no matter what happened.

Grabbing the girls hand she shouted. "Come on Chi! Let's catch up before that knuckle head leaves us behind!

**Village Gates**

It didn't take that long before the three of them reached the village gates. They were greeted by the old man and his trusty Anbu guards beside him. The powerful Hokage had his trusty pipe in hand as he calmly watched the boy approach. "Good morning Naruto-kun. I didn't think you would make it in time considering how early it is but I digress. I'm glad you made it." He laughed and patted the boy on his shoulder.

Naruto returned the old mans pleasantries. "Its nice to see you old man. But its time I depart for my mission."

Sarutobi nodded and knew the boy wasn't particularly in the mood to mess around. Pulling out a scroll from his coat he handed it to the boy. "This contains a map which points where exactly you should be heading. Please take good care of it my boy because without it you'll get lost understand."

He grabbed the scroll from his hands and stuffed it into his backpack. His eyes went back to the Hokages to see if he had anything else to add.

"That is all my boy. You are free to start the mission as of right now. However, heed my advise. Never engage in unnecessary fights. We want you back alive understood."

Naruto took his advise to heart knowing how dangerous it could become. Before he could go he was pulled back and forcefully turned around.

Maki boldly reached over and kissed him on his right cheek. "Promise you come back alive Naruto-kun. ...I need you." She whispered the last bit with a healthy blush on her face.

Not wanting to be beaten the little girl did the same thing and kissed him on his left cheek. "Big brother...beat all those bad men out there and come back so we can have fun together!

Naruto felt his heart jump a little at the affection he was feeling from his only two friends. His eyes focused on Maki's. "Take care of Chi for me Maki-chan. I left a key with her if you need to get in my place." He closed in on her and whispered into her ear. "Watch your back while I'm gone. Don't take what I told you lightly Maki. It could cost you your life understand."

Maki remained still knowing what he meant by those words. "I will Naruto-kun. Don't worry about me. This little brat and me are strong right Chi! She beamed a smile towards her who was proudly flexing her nonexistent muscles.

Naruto's responded with a smile but on the inside he was torn with worry about what would happen while he was away. Saying his final farewells he walked to the main gates and slipped through them. Reaching for the scroll in his backpack he unrolled it and saw that his destination was quite a distance away. He estimated that it would take him at least a week or more before he reached Otogakure. Knowing exactly where to go he resealed the scroll and put it safely in his backpack once again and continued on his long journey ahead.

_12 hours later..._

**Trail through Forest**

It had been about twelve hours since he had left the village. The sun was about to set and the night would replace it. As he walked his senses picked up on an object heading straight for him with blistering speed. The kunai bounced off his lightning shield as he desperately searched for the person behind it. By the speed of it he knew that he was dealing with someone that knew what he was doing.

A lone figure appeared silently behind the unknowing boy. The forest was especially dark so all you could see was piercing red eyes. The mysterious intruder spoke in a monotone voice startling the boy. "We meet at last...Naruto-kun."

**Authors Note: And scene. This officially marks the first arc in Naruto's journey to greatness. Many more exciting things to come so be sure to come back. Until next time Black Crow Out!**


	8. Naruto's Limits

******Authors Note: Welcome once again to another chapter of my story. Hope you enjoy and I'll see you next time. **

******Naruto's Limits**

******Forest**

The cold air breezed through the silent night as the mysterious shinobi stood behind our young hero. Neither made a move as they patiently waited for the other to take the lead. The only light piercing the crowded forest would be the gorgeous full moon above them.

Naruto stood motionless as his cold blue eyes pierced forward. His mind was thinking of the many possibilities to subdue his enemy before he was killed. He knew that this fight could be life threatening if he wasn't careful. He carefully turned around figuring the man behind him wanted something besides his life or he wouldn't be breathing right now. Having turned around he was faced with the mysterious shinobi wielding the powerful sharingan. He had seen these countless times before as they were common in Konoha. His own sensei possessed them but his were in its final evolution.

Naruto's hardened eyes focused on the man's own as they both stared each other down without a sound. Honestly he was surprised he was still breathing considering his opponent had gotten the drop on him. Oddly the mysterious shinobi merely remained still, watching him with calculating cold eyes. This was also a wake up call on just how inferior he was compared to this man ahead of him. He couldn't detect him at all even though he had trained his tracking skills as far as he could on his own. Surprisingly he didn't feel any fear of his current circumstance. Excitement was a better word of what he was feeling.

Just opposite of him the mysterious shadow kept his stoic expression watching the boy with careful precision. His sharingan eyes working overtime to uncover the boy's secrets. Something did surprise him. The boy's expression was calm and merely studying him like he had done this for years. Never in his life had he seen this boy act this way. He had known him through most of his childhood and was even assigned to watch over him a couple times. He was also the only witness to the abuse he had endured by the villagers. He understood why the villagers resented and despised the boy. What he carries inside had destroyed countless lives almost a decade ago.

Many times he felt the need to help the boy out of pity when he watched the villagers pelt the boy mercilessly. This thought never came to fruition. The council had declared that anyone working for the village must not have any contact with the container whatsoever. No matter if the boy was at deaths door any sort of aid would be frowned upon and could lead to the stripping of your shinobi status. His logical mind didn't understand why the council would refuse to help a child.

Now looking to the present the boy in front of him was not the same little boy that had cried for power as he laid in the streets beaten. This boy was calm and collective just like him. He had heard from the Hokage about the incident that occurred months ago to the boy. It had somehow changed him completely. The small child that walked alone through the empty streets was now taller, stronger, wiser and was in every way superior from before. However, his power had come at a price. His personality had changed dramatically. Now those same blue eyes he had seen countless times before were staring right at him with the intent to kill.

He was tasked to watch and help the boy if it was necessary but he wanted to see first hand just how much he had changed. Stepping out of the shadow of the forest he spoke to the cautious boy. "Naruto-kun...show me just how much you have really changed..."

Naruto tensed when the mysterious shinobi mentioned his name. His body quickly began producing large amounts of lightning as the air around him sparked dangerously. The night sky darkened even further as if feeling their masters excitement. For the first time he had noticed what the mysterious shinobi was wearing. His eyes narrowed when he realized that it was the standard Konoha anbu outfit. He wasn't sure what to make of this revelation but he knew that he needed to win this battle. Leaning forward he disappeared in a blaze of speed and shot out a fully charged punch to the unmoving mans face.

The mysterious man easily swerved away and his lightning charged fist collided with a large tree easily snapping it in half. Pulling his fist from the tree he frowned feeling agitated by how easily he had dodged his attack. His glowing blue eyes quickly refocused on his opponents location.

Itachi was impressed at the boy's speed and amount of raw power he could feel from the punch. He could now visually witness the power that the Hokage had mentioned envelop the boy entirely. His eyes predicted that the boy would strike him again and his eyes prediction came true. Dodging to his left the boy blazed next to him missing him entirely.

Clenching his teeth in frustration he knew he couldn't let the pressure wane. Releasing even more lightning from his body he jumped towards him once more and just when his victory seemed certain his entire body shut down. The last thing he saw were his opponents sharingan eyes spinning wildly directed straight at him.

Itachi calmly walked towards the unmoving boy and took this chance to exam the boy further. He wanted to find out how his body was capable of handling such dangerous levels of lightning and at the same time protect his heart from stopping instantly. His sharingan eyes closely roamed over his body and what he found disturbed him. His entire chakra network was entwined with pure lightning and even stranger...it originated from his heart. This in itself seemed inconceivable. This amount of lightning would had stopped any normal persons heart a long time ago but right in front of him that rule was broken. This amount of control over the element was unheard of and even the most gifted shinobi in Kumogakure struggled. The only other person he knew with this amount of control would be the Raikage himself...Ay.

This realization brought new light as to why the council was so adamant in sending him on this dangerous mission. Now he understood there train of thinking but still the question remained. Was this enough to differentiate himself from the rest. He would soon find out.

Naruto fiercely struggled to free himself from the invisible force that prevented him from moving. He knew he was in some kind of genjutsu but he couldn't break free. It felt like his body had given up as the enemy continued to approach him with a calm expression. Fortunately for him the effects had worn off enough for him to regain control of his body. Immediately he managed to grab the elusive man from the throat and squeezed as hard as he could but it seemed ineffective. The man merely stared at him with a stoic expression even though he had him by the throat.

His frustration building even further he slammed the man to the ground leaving a decent sized crater as a result. The ground sparked from the lightning in his attack. Jumping back from the hole he was surprised when his body simply burst into crows that encircled the large crater. This only agitated him even more. His brilliant blue eyes desperately searched for the anbu knowing that he was near as his presence still lingered in the dark forest. Clenching his fists tighter the dirt around him began to rise as he continued to pull even more lightning from his body.

His cape had disintegrated from the intense heat of the lightning. The surrounding animals had long since fled the scene feeling the danger emanating from the boy strongly. The boy's eyes gleamed even brighter as he concentrated for an attack that he believed would end this once and for all. If the man didn't want to come out then he would just destroy the surrounding vicinity. In his mind that was the perfect plan.

Itachi witnessed the boy get hit by lightning straight from the sky. The boys power skyrocketed as a result and it seemed that he aimed to destroy the place entirely with the amount of power he was storing up. Not wanting to let whatever he planned be completed he rushed at the boy with incredible speed and delivered a mind numbing kick right at his chest that sent him flying through several large trees. His actions seemed to disrupt his attack but at the cost of his leg which had become numb. He disregarded the feeling and continued his assault wanting the match to end. He had seen enough and didn't want to hurt him even further.

Naruto had long since removed himself from the trees and was now concentrating his lightning into its defensive version. He could only use one or the other and still needed to learn how to merge them to make a perfect combination. Just as he finished he sensed the man appear behind him to deliver the finishing blow. That never came as his lightning shield did its job and deflected his attack while numbing his right arm in the process. He turned his back and saw him holding his right arm tenderly while keeping his calm face. He knew this was his opportunity to finish the fight in his favor.

This perfect chance at ending it was for nothing as his body began to fail him. His lightning shield flickered as he fell on his knees and coughed out blood. He looked at his palm and frowned at the bright red liquid. His will however refused to give up. He absolutely could not afford to lose right now. He had too many promises to keep to give up now. Pulling even more lightning from his body the lightning shield returned with even greater intensity. The sky above him reacted to his will and roared with thunder as ice cold rained poured below.

Itachi could see that he was struggling immensely. The strain in his body was evident that most likely came from the overuse of his power. His body seemed to be rejecting the abnormal amount of lightning and telling him it would only harm his body even more if he continued. Of course the boy did not want to accept the signals and only wanted to kill him.

Naruto gazed at his opponent with cold eyes and declared with blood stained teeth. "I will not die here. I will kill you and survive! He commanded and bolted in a brilliant blue flash quickly nearing Itachi and swung his fist to his head.

The sharingan wielder caught the punch but did not expect the power behind it as it sent him back.

Seeing his chance he raised both his arms to the dark sky and was hit with another lightning strike which only charged him even further. Quickly he planted both hands on the ground and shouted, _**"Heavens Judgment! **_A second later the ground around him exploded in dozens of sparks completely obliterating everything in its path. This left the earth with an enormous crater that would forever remind them of this battle.

**Random Village Near Battle**

A small boy watched in amazement as the sky continued to spark endlessly. His eyes reflected the brilliant blue of the sky. Suddenly an enormous one sprawled through the clouds and immediately after the entire village became dark.

**With Naruto**

The boy struggled to stand as his consciousness was quickly diminishing. His eyes fought to keep open and for the first time his body felt completely empty. He froze when he felt his opponent behind him and just as he was about to turn around his vision turned black.

Itachi calmly looked at the unconscious boy amazed at how much power his last attack had. Even though he had managed to avoid most of the attack his clothes were shredded. His clothes were replaceable but his goal in testing the boys limit was not. He never planned on the fight to go this far but surprisingly it was for the better. He had first-hand witnessed just how much potential the boy had. Retrieving the backpack which was surprisingly still in one piece went on and picked the boy and vanished to the camp. He had set it up just before the battle since he knew how it would go. However, he had to admit the boy was far stronger than he imagined and with proper training it would only increase.

_3 hours later..._

**Campsite**

Naruto slowly awakened as his groggy eyes examined his surroundings. His eyes quickly shot open when he spotted the man that had defeated him in battle. He seemed to be asleep so in his mind this was his only chance of escaping. His body however did not comply with his plan leaving him no choice but to stay.

Itachi casually opened his eyes and noticed the boy was staring at him no doubt scheming of a plan to escape. He knew his body would not allow it since the battle had left him exhausted. Knowing he had to assure the boy that he was a threat no longer he introduced himself. "Do not be afraid Naruto-kun. I was sent here to protect you." He stated in a monotone voice.

Naruto stood confused. "Then why did you attack me if you were sent to protect me? He asked wanting to find out the motive behind his attack.

Itachi calmly responded. "It was of my own free will. I wanted to find out how strong you were."

Naruto was still confused but nevertheless nodded. His reasoning were simple but honest. Laying his head down his eyes stared at the ceiling tent and asked. "What's your name? He asked wanting to know the mans name who had defeated him without a scratch.

"Uchiha Itachi."

Naruto took the information and knew he was an Uchiha with those eyes of his. "Do you know a person named Maki Uchiha?

The Uchiha nodded. "She was betrothed to me years ago. That of course changed when the council forbid her."

Naruto was shocked to find out that this man was supposed to marry Maki. He frowned knowing the reason behind the cancellation. His eyes shifted towards the man and asked. "Do you know the reason behind the councils decision? Do you agree with it? He asked the stoic man curious to find out how he felt in the matter.

Itachi shook his head. "I know of their reasoning."

Naruto asked again. "So do you agree with it?

"No."

Naruto nodded knowing he wasn't going to get anything more out of him. At least he wasn't one of those people who just blindly agrees with everything they are told.

"Naruto-kun I have a proposition for you. What would you say if I offered you a chance to train with me."

Naruto didn't know what to think but not because he didn't want to be trained by him. It was for the fact that he already had Maki as a sensei.

Itachi could see his indecisiveness and knew what was troubling. "You have learned everything you can from Maki-san Naruto-kun. Its time you trained with someone stronger."

Naruto expression hardened at what the man was saying. He knew that his training with Maki was becoming one sided. He had learned pretty much everything he could from her and it was time to move on. "I accept your offer Itachi. When do we start?

Itachi nodded and answered. "After your mission Naruto-kun." Closing his eyes he advised his future student. "We depart in the morning so rest. Your destination is still a few days away."

Naruto agreed with his statement. Closing his eyes like his new sensei he drifted into sleep which came easily since he was still recovering from the previous battle.

_The next morning..._

**Campsite**

Naruto awoke feeling refreshed and stronger than ever. His attention was diverted when he heard a crackling sound coming from outside the tent. He guessed it was Itachi preparing breakfast. Getting up he exited the tent and saw his sensei sitting by the fire eating what appeared to be some sandwiches. His eyes widened when he realized that they were the ones that Maki had prepared for him before he left. Quickly dashing to him he snatched the boxed lunch from his hands before he finished them all. He counted them and saw there was still six of the twelve left.

Itachi paid no attention to his childish antics and simply pulled out a standard Konoha headband. He tossed it to the boy and explained. "Put this headband on. This will show the villagers of Otogakure that you're from Konoha. Any suspicion of you being there will remain at bay with it."

Naruto looked at it for a moment before securing it tightly around his head.

With a swipe of his hand the fire extinguished. "We must hurry before someone notices the smoke."

Naruto nodded and grabbed his backpack and followed his sensei into the forest.

_3 days later..._

**Main Gates of Otogakure**

Naruto could see the village gates ahead of him as he walked with his sensei who quite honestly enjoyed his company. He was very quite like himself and would only speak to him whenever it was vital. Like right now.

"We have arrived Naruto-kun. I will not join you but I will be watching from the shadows. Follow the instructions and accomplish your goal without fail. You must understand that this isn't a game and failure will not be tolerated."

Naruto fixed his headband and smiled at his sensei. "I got it Itachi-sensei. Failure is not part of my plan so don't worry so much."

Itachi watched his student walk past the main gates signifying the beginning of his mission.

**Authors Note: And scene. Well tell me what you think and as always hope you enjoy. Until next time BlackCrow Out!**


	9. Captured

**Authors Note: Welcome to another chapter. I hope you enjoy. **

**Captured**

**(Otogakure)**

As he passed through the main entrance of Otogakure he noticed the lack of guards like you would normally see. He was confused at the lack of protection but the more he thought about it the more he convinced himself that perhaps they were there all along. He just couldn't see them. Stopping for a moment his eyes took in the surrounding village as a whole. This place if looked from the outside seemed like any other village.

This included the prominent tower that likely housed the village leader like it did for his own village. The only difference would be the lack of the huge mountains Konoha had in the background. The feeling of being watched was also another thing he noticed. This reinforced his theory of guards watching from the shadows. He couldn't see them but he could feel them.

Taking out the scroll that he was given from his backpack. He examined its contents carefully. With a calm expression he gazed at the description to the place that he needed to go to first. It mentioned a fairly popular bar in the village and that's where his contact would be waiting for him. It was at the very tip of the village which meant he just needed to head straight ahead. Rolling up the scroll he put it back in his backpack and began his long walk ahead of him. His stroll through the village brought back unwanted memories of his own home. Stares from the people were abundant. Clearly they wanted to know why a Konoha shinobi was in their village.

He understood their curiosity but did not pay much attention to it. He needed to continue on his mission and draw the least attention that he could. Itachi had advised for him to be like a fly on the wall. Completely unnoticeable and unseen. Unfortunately things don't always work out in your favor. This was especially true in his case.

A drunken man was forcefully ejected from what appeared to be a small tavern. He was not pleased whatsoever and when he stumbled into the boy it only got worse. His drunken face turned into a scowl when he saw his calm demeanor. In his mind it seemed like this child was mocking his situation. Having a few words to say the drunken villager got right into the boy's face with a face filled with anger. "H-hey...b-brat! W-what...the hell do y-you think y-you're looking at! He harshly shoved his large finger into his chest as he stumbled on his own words from his intoxication.

Naruto was in no mood to be disturbed from his goal and this man would not be the cause of his failure. Grabbing the man's hand he slowly began to crush it while his unrelenting gaze made the drunken man squirm. He didn't want to startle the villagers which had quickly noticed their interactions and were interested in how he would respond. So with a cold whisper he advised the man. "I will only warn you this one time. Do not bother me again or you will lose that arm. ...Am I clear? He emphasized his point by applying even more pressure to his arm hoping this was enough to deter the drunken fool to stop.

The people around him started to gather around them wanting to find out what all the commotion was about. It didn't really help that they were bored out of their minds and had nothing better to do. They hoped that something exciting would happen like a fight. Unfortunately for them the only thing they witnessed was the drunken man running for his life screaming bloody murder. When they turned back to see who had caused the man to panic like that all they saw was a young boy in a black jacket walking calming.

As Naruto walked away a single girl appeared in his place. She was a bit shorter than the boy but that wasn't important right now. Narrowing her eyes at the disappearing figure she asked the crowd. "Someone tell me what made that man scream for his life." She dangerously demanded to the crowd while her suspicious eyes remained on the boy.

Most of the villagers flinched at her tone but like always someone just had to voice their opinion to the foul mouthed kunochi. "Who the fuck do you think you are to be giving us demands! Just because you have some job with our lord doesn't make you better than us you bitch! The villagers had hoped they would intimidate the kunochi by their numbers alone but it seemed to have failed.

The young kunochi's mask of calmness quickly crumbled away. She had asked for an answer but instead she was rewarded with the whiny voices of the villagers foolishly believing they had her cornered. Spiking her killing intent considerably the weak villagers immediately dropped to their knees as they struggled to breath. Her agitated eyes roamed across them and randomly chose someone to explain the situation. She hoped she didn't have to resort to violence but then again she didn't mind some hands on action. Her eyes focused on an elderly woman who's eyes were focused straight on her. "You there! Old hag. Get your wrinkly ass over here and explain to me what happened here."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What you tell me better be fucking correct or I swear I'll kill you where you stand." She wanted the information as fast as possible knowing she had to report like she was told. Also she wanted to know who that kid was that had made a grown as man run screaming for his life. He seemed normal enough from the outside but her instincts told her otherwise.

The elderly woman trembled at her threat but answered the kunochi not wanting to create any trouble for her. "Well first of all I went on my morning walk to get some much needed groceries since my lazy ass husband certainly wasn't going to do it. He's to busy stuffing his face and watching the damn TV all the time..."

Her story was rudely interrupted by a fuming kunochi who was struggling not to kill the woman outright. "Enough with your life story you old hag! Just get to the fucking point and tell me what you saw!

The elderly woman glared at the foul mouthed girl and retorted. "Youngsters these days having no sense of patience anymore. I remember when I..."

The young kunochi interrupted her once again. "What did I just say granny. I certainly didn't give you the go ahead to tell me about your young days. Now I'll mention it once more. Tell me what you saw before I crush your throat and feed it to your fucking husband! She shouted to the woman barely able to contain her cool.

The elderly woman stepped back a bit and finally gave the ill mannered kunochi the answer she was seeking. "Well what I saw was the man walk straight into the boy and apparently he thought that he was giving him a funny look. To me it looked like the young boy was just looking past the man. I guess the boy had enough of his poking and grabbed his hand. I imagine he squeezed it pretty hard by the mans expression. Finally the boy seemed to say something to him and just like that he ran away."

The young kunochi nodded and asked the elderly woman another question. "Tell me exactly what he looked like."

"Well he was a bit taller than you but not by much. He was slightly muscular but not too much. His hair was bright yellow and his eyes were blue. He also had a Konohagakure headband around his head. That's pretty much the gist of it."

The young kunochi nodded and disappeared from sight startling the villagers at her quick exit.

**(Underground Base in Otogakure)**

The young kunochi appeared in a dark room that was lit by a few candles around the room. Kneeling she reported her findings to her master. "Orochimaru-sama. It seems that your theory was correct. Konoha has sent an unknown shinobi to investigate the mysterious disappearances plaguing this village." She finished her report not daring to raise her head unless prompted to by her master.

Opposite the young girl sat a pale man with bright snake like yellow eyes which shone through the darkness. The man known as Orochimaru signaled the girl to stand. "Well done Tayuya. This vital information will surely come in handy. Imagine my surprise that you completed this little mission for me since you always seem to fail even the most simplistic missions from that foul mouth of yours."

Tayuya accepted his criticism not even daring to talk back to her master. She still needed to get stronger if she was ever going to reach her goal. This could only be attained if she worked for Orochimaru.

The snake eyed man laid his frightening eyes on the girl once more. "Tayuya...I have another mission for you. All you have to do is watch the boy and find out his motive. Remain unseen or he could kill you." Even though he treated most of his subordinates with disrespect. The mysterious leader still cared for their well-being. Grabbing a scroll that contained information about the boy he flicked it to the girl.

Tayuya quickly read through the scroll but was surprised with how little information it actually contained. Her eyes glanced at her master who seemed to know what she was thinking.

"I see you have realized how little we have on the boy. His records unfortunately are difficult to attain because of his status. So let me reiterate myself. Watch him carefully and find out who he's meeting."

She nodded at the man but was not entirely at ease knowing so little about her potential opponent. Her eyes traveled back to the scroll and focused on his name. "Uzumaki Naruto huh."

**(With Naruto)**

Naruto continued his walk to the bar where his contact would be waiting for him to give him further instructions. Finally he had arrived and without a sound slipped right through. Making his way to the bartender he signaled the man to come. Taking out the scroll he showed it to the man like the instructions told him. The man immediately understood and pointed to a booth at the very end of the bar and went to attend his other customers. His eyes followed the mans instructions and witnessed a white haired man happily laughing as two beautiful woman clung to his arms.

"Ladies! Ladies! Please...there's plenty of me to go around hahahaha." The white haired man let out a hefty laugh and continued to gulp down shot after shot seemingly unfazed by the amount of alcohol he was consuming in such a short amount time.

The two busty woman clinging to his chest continued to fight for his attention. "But Jiraiya-kun I thought you said I was your favorite." Both girls whined in harmony and continued to fight over who was better for him. The bickering stopped when both woman noticed a new visitor had joined them. "Is this one of your friends Jiraiya-kun? He's so cute...care to introduce him to us." They pleaded to the white haired man but were ignored completely.

Jiraiya's drunken stupor disappeared as he focused on the blond young boy in front of him. "What do you want kid. Can't you see me and the fine ladies are in the middle of something. Now go away this place isn't meant for children." He waved the boy away and grumbled at being interrupted by a little punk when he was having so much fun with both beautiful women.

Naruto did not pay any heed to his annoyance and simply did what he was told. "Jiraiya-san...I am Uzumaki Naruto. I presume you've heard my name mentioned at least."

Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly as his features steeled realizing the situation. "So they sent a brat like you huh? Well that's just my luck ain't it? He grumbled annoyed at the audacity the village had for sending a mere child to this dangerous mission. To make matters worse it just had to be the son of his deceased student. What were they thinking.

Both woman felt the atmosphere tense since the boy had arrived and for the first time agreed on leaving.

Seeing them leave he took a seat opposite of Jiraiya and handed him the scroll to prove once and for all that he was indeed assigned for this mission.

Jiraiya though refused the scroll knowing they would send someone already. He didn't expect it to be Naruto of all people. Also he didn't expect the boy to look so mature for being only nine years old. He honestly looked like he was at least twelve compared to the last time he saw him. He also wondered why he wasn't informed on how the boy changed so dramatically since it was obvious the changes were not natural. You could say his change in height could be because of an early growth spurt but his attitude was definitely not one of them. The boy he knew from the few times he had seen him was a boisterous loud mouth prankster that would always be shouting that he wanted to be Hokage.

The Naruto right now though was definitely a different person altogether. The only thing that he was told was that he had awakened some kind of bloodline limit. He believed the old man called it Byakurai or something like that. It gave him the ability to access potent lightning that matched the Raikage's own. That was truly something to be impressed about but until he see's it in action he couldn't compare.

"Jiraiya-san, can we proceed with the mission at hand? He asked the seemingly occupied man.

Jiraiya chuckled at his serious demeanor. "Loosen up Naruto-kun. Not everything needs to be so serious all the time." The boy however did not budge whatsoever and simply stared at him waiting for the rest of the mission. His smile dwindled as he waved for the bartender to come and give him the check. Paying the man he nudged the serious boy to follow him out of the bar.

Once outside the white haired man's demeanor changed to match the boy's own. "Alright kid don't get too excited. You're basically just scouting the village to see if you find anything out of the ordinary. When you're done with that you can do what you want for the next few days until I give you your next assignment. So relax during that time and enjoy your time out of the village. We all know you need it." He broke his seriousness with a hefty laugh as he patted his back making him uncomfortable.

Reaching inside his pocket he took out several bills and handed it to the boy. "Here kid use this to rent yourself a hotel and buy some food. It should be enough to last you several days until I come back."

_Several hours later..._

It had been a long day of searching but finally he had finished scouting like he had been told. It would've taken him longer if he was in Konoha since it was several times larger than Otogakure. With that finished he decided it was time to turn in for the night and headed back to the hotel he had rented. As he neared the hotel his abnormally heightened senses picked up on a faint source of energy close behind him. He didn't want to make it obvious that he had sensed whoever was following him so he continued to walk normally while at the same time tried to pinpoint where he or she was. The presence only got stronger as he neared his hotel indicating that the person had grown bolder. He slowly came to a crawl as he had pinpointed the location of the person trailing him. "I know you're following me so why don't you make it easy and introduce yourself."

Meanwhile Tayuya debated whether or not to show herself or run away and try to escape. With her stubborn attitude it was difficult not to confront the stoic boy. Having decided against running away she dropped from her perch on the tree and glared at the stoic boy ahead.

Naruto had fully turned around and saw that she had complied with his suggestion. "Why are you following me girl. What the point in hiding in that tree?

Tayuya scoffed at his nonchalant attitude. "You think I give a damn on what you want? Don't me me laugh. Tell me what you are doing in this village in the first place? This isn't a place a Konoha shinobi should be visiting. Especially a scrawny kid like yourself."

Naruto did not react to her insults and merely reiterated his question. "Why are you following me then?

Tayuya did not give him an answer as she reached for something in her pouch which led the boy to believe she was about to attack.

Naruto took a small step forward and vanished before landing a devastating kick to the girls stomach sending her flying to the concrete wall behind her.

The girl quickly slipped into unconsciousness from the impact.

Naruto saw that she was out. He picked her up and slung her across his shoulder. "I should take her to my room and interrogate her. She might know something important regrading my mission if she was following me." With that said he disappeared once again.

**Authors Note: And scene. Tell me what you think so far. I would love to hear your opinions. Also thanks to all of you who have reviewed it really warms my heart. Look forward to another chapter soon. Until next time BlackCrow Out! **


	10. Bitter Memories

**Authors Note: Welcome once again to another chapter of my story. Hope you enjoy and Review.**

**Bitter Memories**

_3 hours later..._

**(Hotel Room)**

The night in Otogakure was a quiet one. The citizens of this mysterious village had long since gone to sleep after another hectic day. The brisk breeze of the night ran through the dead silent village. Tayuya had been sleeping on his bed for a couple hours now. The glow of the full moon peered through the large window in his hotel room he had rented. When he put her to sleep on his bed he was shocked at how similar she looked to Maki. They both had dark red hair with the only difference being that Maki's hair was longer. For a girl who seemed to curse a lot her features seemed refined.

Tayuya meanwhile began to awaken from her slumber as she pried open her heavy eyelids. Her vision slowly began to accustom to the lack of light. The memories of the night before flooded her as she quickly snapped out of her sleepy state. Her eyes immediately went towards her own body as she felt her limbs were tightly secured by some rope making it impossible to break free. Of course that didn't stop her from trying but she quickly learned that it really was impossible. Her emotions were quickly building at the thought of being captured became a reality. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness as they desperately tried to to figure out exactly where she was brought to.

As her movements became more violent a sharp pain centered in her stomach reared its painful head and reminded her of the boy's attack. She clenched her teeth as she tried to bear the pain while she fumed in anger at being defeated so easily. _'How the fuck did that kid get the jump on me? And so easily at that! _She clenched her fists in frustration. _'It must have been a fluke. I'm not that weak am I? _She remained silent and rested her eyes on the dark ceiling above and tried to think of a way to escape her imprisonment. From what she could gather there seemed to be no one in the room with her. The kid must have left her here.

Regaining her confidence she carefully nudged herself to the far side of the bed. Her confidence was rewarded when she finally reached the end and fell right off. With a heavy thump she landed on the hard wood floor as she cursed up a storm. "Fucking kid! Tying me with this fucking rope. Who does he think I am! A damn animal or something. I swear when I get my hands on that little shit I'm going to feed him his own balls and lets see who's the boss now." She wickedly grinned at the thought but sighed as her situation remained the same. Closing her eyes she breathed in and tried to calm herself like Orochimaru had constantly reminded her to do. If she didn't calm down first she will never get out of this place.

Opening her eyes she concentrated and managed to sit herself up. Her eyes bulged open when they rested on the same person she was cursing to just now. The person that had easily knocked her out and captured her was sleeping against the wall. Well to her it seemed like he was sleeping by the fact that his eyes were closed and wasn't reacting to her. She couldn't help but notice just how peaceful he seemed as he slept. Also this meant that he had gave the bed to her instead of taking it himself. _'Maybe he isn't that bad after all.' _Her eyes had since become adjusted to the darkness and crawled her way to the nearest wall where she raised herself up. Finally on her feet she glanced at her captor. She couldn't shake the feeling of admiration towards him but she knew she had to escape.

She waddled to the door since her feet were also tied up. It took her longer than usual but she finally made it to the front door. Since her hands were tied behind her back she had to use her chin to turn the knob. That plan was quickly slashed as she felt the knob barely move meaning it was locked from the other side. _'Fuck! What the hell was I thinking believing he was this cool guy. This fucker locked it from the other side!_ After trying for a couple minutes her sore chin finally had enough. Sighing in defeat she turned her eyes to her captor and guessed that he had to have the key to the door. Calming herself she waddled towards him in hopes of finding the key to get the hell out of there.

Finally reaching him she turned around and used her hands to reach for the key. Luckily it was right where she had guessed as a small silver key rested in her hands. She was honestly proud of herself for getting the key without waking him up. Having secured the silver key she made her way back to the door but as she tried to insert the key it dropped onto the floor. "God fucking dammit! She whispered to herself not wanting to wake the boy up when she was this close to escaping. She quickly dropped to the floor and tried to feel out where the key had landed. While her eyes had accustomed to the darkness it was still not enough to spot the key easily.

While the girl cursed and struggled at her situation Naruto had pretty much witnessed her entire ordeal. His calm blue eyes watched the girl desperately search for the key. Once again the resemblance between her and Maki was astounding. It also reminded him of his promise to return back home safely and as quickly as possible.

Tayuya had finally managed to find the key and was in the process of unlocking the door but to her surprise the key didn't fit.

Naruto reached into his other pocket and took out the correct key while he made his presence known. "Its not very polite to escape your host without telling him first. And to think I even gave you the bed." He mocked as the lights in the room turned on.

Tayuya gripped the fake key as she stood frozen at the sound of his voice. She didn't know how to respond to him so she did what was natural to her. "Fuck your little game of prisoner. Untie me or I will fucking hurt you." She threatened the boy in hopes of convincing him somehow to let her go. But they both knew that it wasn't going to happen.

Naruto put the correct key back into his pocket and rested his cold eyes on her trembling form. Sitting up he began walking to the girl who was watching his every move carefully.

The closer he got the more Tayuya panicked. In her mind she thought she was going to be killed. "D-don't get near me you fucker. Just open the door and let me out." She pleaded with him to be let free but her pleas fell on deaf ears as he continued to methodically walk towards her. She shut her eyes waiting for the imminent death blow which never came. Instead she felt him untying her binds which confused her. Not wanting to squander this opportunity to escape she punched him thinking she would die if she didn't try at least.

Naruto just move his head a little and avoided her fist. Taking advantage of her extended arm he quickly grabbed her and threw her towards the bed.

Tayuya landed in the soft bed and was shocked that her punch had missed even though she was mere inches away from him. Her confusion intensified when she saw the boy grab a chair and position it right in front of her.

Naruto sat down and rested his calm eyes directly on her's. Waving his hand he began. "Care to introduce yourself...Tayuya-san? He asked the kunochi looking for more information besides her name. He had heard some of the villagers curse some red headed girl and she seemed to fit the picture.

Tayuya narrowed her eyes. "How the hell do you know my name you bastard? Who told you about me? Or did you strip me naked and search me you pathetic excuse of a man." She venomously spit towards the expressionless boy who seemed oblivious to her insults.

"Why were you following me? Who do you work for Tayuya-san? He commanded in a calm tone which only resulted in Tayuya getting even angrier.

She laughed hysterically at the way he was being so calm even though this was supposed to be an interrogation. Her laughter quieted down as her eyes followed his movements to the window.

The atmosphere in the room quickly got heavier and heavier as the pressure in the room skyrocketed. Her breathing became labored at the enormous amount of killing intent he was producing.

"Tayuya-san...let me ask you again. Why...were...you...following me? He coldly stated not feeling like playing around any longer.

Even though she struggled to control her breathing and emotions. She still found a way to insult the boy. "Do you honestly think I'm going to betray my master for some fucking retard who thinks hes all that? Her laugh was filled with fright but she continued. "Are you even a real shinobi? I guess Konoha didn't have anyone else to spare so they sent a dumb retard instead." She mercilessly continued to berate him and laugh at how he was still trying to make her talk. What he didn't understand was that she had been in equally terrible situations but she always managed to escape without a scratch.

His body began spark and glow blue with lightning. The lights inside flickered at the influx in power he was producing. Turning his head his glowing blue eyes landed on her's. "Tell me or I will kill you." His dangerous tone echoed inside the relatively empty room making his voice sound even more terrifying.

Tayuya trembled at his threat and honestly was terrified that she was going to be killed right then and there. But she knew she couldn't reveal her reason since it would compromise her mission and Orochimaru would kill her. She did not want that to happen so she risked her life and bolted towards the door.

Naruto saw her attempt and quickly appeared in front of her. He grabbed her from her throat and slammed her against the wall. "Give me the information I want or you will die."

Tayuya struggled to breath from his grip but still managed to crack a smile. "D-does this turn you on little boy? Hurting a defenseless girl." She coughed and wheezed as her throat was being crushed. "Don't make me laugh. Always trying to act cool like you have everything handled from the start. You're just another nameless shinobi who doesn't have the balls to go through with it." She seethed through clenched teeth hoping to discourage him. It didn't even faze him.

Naruto's cold eyes lingered on the girls as she desperately tried to break free of his iron grip. Gripping just a bit harder he spoke. "You're a stubborn girl Tayuya-san. Unfortunately that stubbornness will be the cause of your death." Naruto began to pour a steady stream of lightning into the girl. This would result in her nervous system shutting down followed by her brain until she died.

Her body quickly began to lose power and go limp as her life force was quickly dwindling away in his arms. Unknowingly her mind went back to a time before she was taken in by Orochimaru. It brought her memories of happier times when she was with her family. Even through all her constant failures she always stuck to her goal. The thought of avenging her murdered family was the only thing that drove her forward.

Naruto's glowing eyes noticed some strange marking begin spreading across her entire body. His grip tightened as he felt the huge power surge coming from the girl.

Tayuya had begun her transformation courtesy of her cursed mark. Her power was quickly increasing even with the potent lightning running through her body.

_Flashback 6 years ago..._

**(Unknown Village)**

Tayuya was huddled in a corner in her parents closet like her mother had told her when the attack on the village began. She was terrified at the screams of her parents but when she didn't hear them anymore she peeked outside. The scene before her would forever change the young girls life. Before her eyes her beautiful mother Tayu had a fist right through her heart. The only people that had ever cared for her were laying there motionless and she was powerless to do anything about it. She hardened her feelings and confronted the men as she held her precious flute that she had been gifted by her mother when she was five.

Being only a little girl she didn't really understand why she was given a flute. She didn't really like music even though her mother always reminded her that their family had always been blessed with the creation of music and told her that she would come to love it as well. She was right as it didn't take her long before she came to love her flute and the sound it produced. One day while she experimented with her flute strange apparitions appeared from it and it scared her so much she stopped playing entirely.

Her mother quickly noticed that she had stopped and when she asked her why she understood. She was afraid of the monsters but those things only wanted to protect her.

She didn't really understand what she meant but trusted her enough to start playing her flute again. In time she became accustomed to the strange creatures and eventually learned to control them. They became her only source of companionship. All the other kids were afraid of her demonic looking friends. Now before her eyes were the men who destroyed her family and her emotions boiled into a rage.

She quickly put the small flute on her lips and began playing the music her mother had taught her.

While she did that the two men just eyed her. They were so entranced by her music that they didn't sense the large humanoid figures towering behind them.

The huge demons immediately slashed at the oblivious men and effortlessly ripped them in half. Tayuya fell to the floor in exhaustion and slowly crawled to her dead mother. Her small hand gently touched her mother's face and the realization of losing here entire family hit her like a ton of bricks. She sobbed uncontrollably and blamed herself for their deaths. "I-I'm s-so sorry mother. I-It's my fault you were killed! I wasn't strong enough! ….I promise I will get stronger and kill the people responsible for this." She declared to her dead mother as her eyes snapped behind her sensing an overbearing power. Thinking she would be attacked again she quickly prepared to stand up and face him but her small body did not have enough energy.

A strange pale man saw the struggling girl and extended his arm offering his hand. "You want power don't you child. You want to avenge your parents and village. Work for me and all that and more will be granted." He smirked at her as he saw her reach for his hand. Grabbing her hand he pulled her towards him and bit her neck making her pass out from excruciating pain. A strange symbol appeared from it. The snake like man gazed at his newest student before grabbing her and disappeared into the flames.

_Flashback End..._

**(Hotel Room)**

Naruto was struggling to keep his hold on the girl who by now had completely turned into a demonic looking figure. She had grown horns and her skin had become a strange brown pigment.

Tayuya's eyes suddenly shot open revealing demonic yellow eyes instead of her brown ones. Her yellow eyes went to his arm as she gripped it with monstrous strength. "You will not kill me! I'm the one who will kill you! She growled in a deeper voice. Releasing his grip from her throat she punched the boy straight in the face sending flying right through the window. He continued to soar through the air until he finally collided right into a concrete wall creating a huge dent.

Slowly he removed himself from the hole and calmly caressed his jaw as he noticed her take out a normal looking flute seemingly about to play it. Dusting his jacket from leftover dirt he walked to the girl. The sky above them slowly began to awaken sensing their masters tension. His ears were filled with the sound of her music and figured that her flute was her weapon. "Tayuya. ….You and I know how this fight will turn out. The outcome is written and it ends with your death."

**(Underground Base in Otogakure)**

Orochimaru was well aware of the happenings topside but instead of being worried he was excited. "Kukuku...it seems our little Tayuya has finally grown up and awakened. I had my doubts whether it would happen but it seems they were for naught. She is officially one of us." His piercing yellow eyes went to another figure next to him. "Isn't it a pleasant occurrence Kimimaro-kun?

The expressionless figure beside him simply nodded with his master. The only thing you could see were his cold blue eyes piercing the darkness. "This will be the greatest test Tayuya-san will face. As you say Orochimaru-sama she is now one of us..."

**Authors Note: And scene. Well tell me what you think and I hope to see you for another chapter soon. Until next time BlackCrow out!**


	11. Monster vs Monster

**Authors Note: Welcome once again to another chapter of my story. Hope you enjoy and Review. **

**Monster vs. Monster**

**(Otogakure)**

The gorgeous moon illuminated the peaceful village as a battle was about to commence below at any moment. The air around the two fighters was thick. On one hand his power was refined and beautiful. While her power seemed unnatural and dark.

Naruto stood motionless while the air around him became charged with lightning. His glowing blue eyes were unwavering as he stared down his second ever opponent. He raised his arm as it sparked with potent lightning. It felt like he had grown stronger since his battle with his sensei. The way his lightning sparked even fiercer while his control over the erratic element became stronger was proof. It gave him a sense of pride in knowing that his power was steadily growing bigger. His eyes rested on the flute that resided in her hand. The only logical explanation of her having it would be it had something to do with her power. Another mystery was the strange mark in her neck that somehow changed her physically and gave her an enormous power boost.

He noticed she was trembling but he wasn't sure if it was from rage or fear. One thing was certain. Someone would lose this battle and it wasn't going to be him. "Tayuya-san. I offer you this final chance to keep your life. Give me the information I have been asking for and I'll let you walk."

The demonic looking girl merely laughed at his attempt to scare her. "For someone who acts ten years there age you sure are fucking naïve. Asking something of someone when you're about to die." She snorted at the way he carried himself finding it disgusting. "Don't think yourself to highly Konoha trash. You're just another hopeless dumb fuck who thinks his words will bring peace. You're fucking speeches give me headaches so just stay the fuck quiet like you were before. I liked you better that way." She growled at him finding it hilarious that he was commanding her to surrender so easily.

Naruto stood expressionless at her unrelenting insults but on the outside his emotions were on full display.

The villagers also sensed that something was wrong in their peaceful village. With curiosity filling their senses they went outside and saw two figures standing opposite each other. The one on their left was glowing a brilliant blue as his entire body rippled with intense lightning. Directly opposite stood a young girl that had unnatural horns protruding from her scalp and terrifying yellow eyes surrounded by an ominous dark energy that screamed death and misfortune.

Naruto walked towards her and with each step he took she took several steps back clearly not wanting to face him head on. If that happened she would definitely lose this fight. Her specialty relied more on long range combat and wasn't really a close range fighter. His gaze unwavering he warned the kunochi ahead of him. "Your stubbornness will be your downfall Tayuya-san. Your lack of information makes you useless to me." He coldly stated and vanished before her eyes.

Tayuya's eyes widened and sensed him to his right but before she could react she was hit by his fist which sent her flying straight through several houses and right into the forest. She had no time to recover before she saw him right above her. Thinking quick she substituted herself with a log before the boy's leg planted itself into the ground exploding on contact. She reappeared a couple yards away from where he had kicked the ground and thought. _'__**Demonic Flute: Illusionary Warriors Manipulating Melody! **_Three Doki appeared next to her and immediately bolted towards their masters enemy.

Naruto calmly stepped out of the hole and looked to the direction where he sensed the demonic looking girl. "You're just prolonging your invetible death Tayuya-san. You cannot hide from my superior senses." His glowing blue eyes panned slightly to the right of him sensing several chakra sources coming right for him that did not belong to the girl. He wondered who it might be but did not have to for long. Three monstrous figures appeared before him. He was about to question them but couldn't since they quickly attacked him and successfully landed several hard hit that sent him crashing through several trees until he stopped against a huge tree.

He grimaced in pain feeling a few of his ribs crack from the blow. It didn't take him long before he became accustomed to the pain and managed to get himself up. His calculating mind quickly surmised that these demon looking creatures were created by the girl. He closed his eyes and calmed his mind and sensed both the girl and the creatures which were coming right for him. His eyes calmly opened and instead of waiting for them to come he decided he would confront them directly. In a flash of blue he blazed through the forest quickly reaching the creatures before ramming his lightning infused fist straight through one of the monsters blow did not kill the creature like he expected. Instead the creature he had stabbed began to forcefully remove his arm with incredible strength. He quickly activated his lightning shield just before he was hit by a huge club that sent him crashing to the earth creating a huge crater. Fortunately his shield did its job and prevented any major damage to his body. As he laid in the crater he thought. _'These monsters must be some kind of genjutsu if they do not die normally. Guess I have to go remove the one who's controlling them.'_

He mentally agreed with his plan and nonchalantly rose from the ground. His eyes landed on the expressionless creatures who were standing in place waiting for his next move. Raising his arms to the sky a huge lightning bolt hit his body quickly fueling him with dangerous levels of real lightning. The amount of power coursing through him was monstrous but somehow he managed to control it. Feeling it was enough he brought both arms down and planted his hands to the ground before stating. **_"Heaven's Judgment!_ **As soon as those words left his mouth an an enormous amount of lightning flowed from his body and in an instant vaporized the unknowing monsters. It also left the once lush forest completely destroyed.

Naruto struggled to stand up as his breathing became erratic. That move he had created while fighting Itachi was the only move he knew. It didn't help it took almost everything he had to create but it was enough to destroy the pests that prevented him from going for his actual opponent. He violently began to start coughing blood indicating that his body was not capable of handling that much power at one time. In time his breathing stabilized and his power returned fully. Flexing both his hands he smirked and sprinted straight for Tayuya knowing it was only a matter of time before she re-summoned those monsters again.

Just a few yards away Tayuya was cursing up a storm at having her Doki destroyed for the first time in her life. She contemplated whether she should run or stay but without her Doki she had already lost the fight. She knew her next move was not a graceful one but she did not want to die today. She quickly turned around and bolted to the base knowing she would die if she stayed. Unfortunately for her that plan crumbled before her eyes when seeing the blond boy appear right in front of her.

Naruto glared coldly at her and offered her a last chance. "Tell me what you know and I will make your death painless. We both know you have no chance at winning Tayuya-san."

Tayuya's face turned to anger when she felt that she was being treated like a child. It made her feel powerless that she couldn't do anything right now. The bitter memories from her past only fueled her anger. Her demonic yellow eyes stared a hole into the boy as she griped her flute tighter. "Still you continue to preach. Do you honestly think I would give an emotionless piece of shit my time of day?! She thrust her hand out and gave him the finger right to his face. "Fuck off you dickless bastard and save your preaches for someone who cares! I will never...ever submit to you. Get that through your head and fuck off you pussy." She spit out to the boy who was still calmly looking at her.

Naruto shook his head as the cold rain began to pour. "Both of us are more alike than you think Tayuya-san. Monsters trying to find a purpose in this cruel world."

The once furious kunochi was now confused at his words. The questions she had in her head remained unsaid as he grabbed her from her throat with incredible force.

Naruto's expressionless mug finally crumbled into a frown as a mental picture of Maki hit him. This girl looked a lot like his friend and it made him question if what he was doing was the right choice. His doubts didn't last knowing that the person ahead of him needed to be put down one way or another. Itachi said that his mission came foremost so that is exactly what he did. Grabbing her even tighter he felt her throat begin to cave in right before he slammed her body into the ground exploding from the force. Numerous sparks ran through the now unconscious kunochi who was quickly transforming back to her normal self. Naruto looked at her sleeping form impassively and knew that this moment would stay with him for the rest of his life.

His right hand sparked as lightning began to fill it again. This light was the only thing you could see in the dark forest. Straightening his hand he moved it over her heart and just as he was about to strike the killing blow he sensed a kick coming right for him. Moving to his right he managed to dodge before he jumped back not sure who or what his new opponent was capable of.

Kimimaro watched him with impassive eyes. _'Strange...he managed to dodge my attack with relative ease. It seems I have underestimated his lightning ability and need to correct my mistake.' _Kimimaro effortlessly hoisted her sleeping form on his shoulder before vanishing.

Naruto gazed at the spot where the man was. As he made his way back into the village his eyes caught the outline of the flute that she used to fight. Crouching down he pulled it from the ground and examined it carefully. He couldn't understand what made this so special. To him it looked like one you could buy from the stores with the only noticeable difference being that it had some kind of engraving on it. "Tayu". He whispered. This flute must hold a lot of memories when seeing the numerous scratches. The name Tayu was something that greatly interested him as well. Putting the flute into his pocket his eyes turned back sensing a familiar chakra behind him. That was last thing he saw before his vision turned black.

Itachi had quickly appeared next to him thinking the worst but thankfully it was just a case of exhaustion. Crouching down he picked him up and disappeared.

_1 day later..._

**(Hotel Room)**

Naruto's eyes slowly opened and quickly shut feeling a sharp pain coming from his chest. This caused him to remember the night before when he was hit by those monsters. Holding his ribs he sat up from his bed and saw his sensei resting in the very same corner he was at just yesterday. He flinched when he saw his sensei's sharingan glaring right at him and knew he wasn't too pleased with last night actions.

"I am very disappointed in you Naruto-kun."

Naruto walked to the window and saw the place he had hit just yesterday. "Did you see the whole fight Itachi-sensei? He asked wanting to know just how much he had seen.

Itachi nodded. "I know you have the Kyuubi Naruto-kun. If your worried about keeping it a secret then be rest assured."

Naruto nodded relieved that he could trust someone with this secret. His ears perked up when he heard his sensei ask him a question of his own.

"How did you find out Naruto-kun? He asked the boy curious in how he came to realize he had the Kyuubi inside him.

Naruto remained silent indicating to Itachi that it was still too soon to reveal.

Itachi respected his secrets so asked another equally important question he had. "How did you know you were about to be attacked Naruto-kun?

His eyes turned to his sensei and answered. "I somehow saw him ahead of time with my eyes."

Itachi's eyes remained calm but nevertheless was intrigued at his answer. "How did it feel?

"It was as if I had seen him attack already so I moved my body and managed to avoid it."

Itachi stood up from his corner and walked to the boy. "Focus your chakra into your eyes and tell me what you see."

Naruto was confused but did what he was told and funneled his chakra into his eyes. To his surprise his world became clear and seemed to move in slow motion. "What did you do to me. I can see perfectly now and your chakra flow is visible. How is that possible? He asked his sensei amazed at what he was seeing.

Itachi focused on the boy's eyes and instead of the normal blue color from before they were now replaced with the recognizable sharingan with two tomoe's on each eye. "Turn your sharingan off."

Naruto didn't know what he meant by that. "I don't have one like you Itachi-sensei. I thought you did something to me to be able to see this clearly?

Itachi shook his head and brought a kunai to his face as it reflected the boy's newly acquired sharingan to him.

Naruto's eyes widened as he saw his own reflection of his eyes which now were dark red. "W-what the hell did you do to me Itachi-sensei?! Did you give me these eyes?

Itachi shook his head once again. "No. Somehow you managed to awaken them at the end of your fight with that girl. Your sharingan allowed you to see his movement clearly resulting in him missing and you unscathed."

Naruto had long since grabbed the kunai from his hands and was fascinated by his new eyes. "How did I get them Itachi-sensei. I'm not an Uchiha."

Itachi himself did not know how his new student managed to unlock the sharingan. "I'm not sure. You unlocking the sharingan only adds to the mystery."

Naruto put down the kunai and smirked. "It doesn't matter how I got it. I always wanted one anyways."

Itachi saw his smirk and went to sit back down. "Why were you fighting that female in the forest? What was your goal in doing this?

Naruto's new sharingan eyes focused on his sensei once again. It made him realize just how menacing they could be when used against you. "I caught her following me so I captured her and tried to interrogate her. Unfortunately she did not budge whatsoever." He frowned at his failure to get any useful information from her.

"What do you think she was after?

Naruto's eyes shifted towards the window once again. His new sharingan eyes reflecting perfectly in the night. "I don't know but I plan to find out." His hand gripped the flute in his pocket.

**(Underground Base in Otogakure)**

Orochimaru sat in his throne with a sinister smirk on his pale face. "Well done Kimimaro. You did well in bringing me Tayuya back alive. I still have many plans for her in the future. ...Now...did you get a sense of our friend that was fighting her? He asked the emotionless man wanting to know about the mysterious boy that was sent to his village.

The white haired man nodded. "The boy is very interesting just like you thought. He is strong as well and if I did not show up when I did Tayuya would have been killed. He managed to dodge one of my fastest attacks like it was nothing. This boy is definitely hiding something from us." He informed his master in a monotone voice.

Orochimaru smirked in excitement. His excitement only rose when Kimimaro mentioned that he had dodged on of his attack which was definitely impressive. "Excellent work as always Kimimaro. You never fail to meet my expectations. Now take Tayuya to Kabuto and tell him to make sure she is fully recovered. She is still needed."

Kimimaro nodded and took Tayuya to the infirmary like his master had instructed.

Orochimaru sat there as his yellow snake like eyes glowed ominously in the darkness. "So much potential is hidden inside that boy. I must make him one of us." He chuckled at the new gem he had found.

**Authors Note: And scene. Tell me what you think and I please look forward to another chapter soon. Until next time BlackCrow Out!**


	12. Sickness

**Authors Note: Sorry for the delay but without further ado I bring you another chapter of my story. Hope you enjoy and review. **

**Sickness**

_1 day later..._

**(Hotel Room)**

The darkness of the night swept through the village signifying the end of another day. Naruto's eyes absentmindedly gazed at the empty ceiling. He was bored and for the past day his thoughts had been wandering to the past events. A moment that would stay forever with him would be the image of a sleeping Tayuya unaware that she was about to be killed by him. It was his job to eliminate any potential opponents that could cause him to fail his mission but the more he thought about it the more this seemed to become something more personal. Raising both his arms his blue eyes lingered on them and for the first time questioned why exactly he had been sent on this mission.

The only logical answer to his own question would be that it was to get stronger and experience what to really expect when sent to foreign lands. However another part of his mind was telling him that maybe just maybe this was all a ploy to get him killed. His hands sparked with lightning and was confused at how empty he felt. He honestly missed having the company of the few friends he had. His thoughts drifted to the girl that was sleeping in this bed just yesterday and even though he just tried to kill her. Oddly he didn't feel any ill intentions towards her and thought of her as a possible friend. He knew she had some kind of pain like he did hidden deep inside her heart. He absolutely needed to find out where the pale man had taken her and what her leader planned all along.

His right hand went to his pocket and gently gripped the flute that the kunochi had been using. Taking it out he inspected it fully. This flute seemed almost identical to the ones you could buy at the store but at the same time it seemed different altogether. The only visible difference was the name engraved into it. His fingers brushed over the engraving that read Tayu. Deciding to try the flute himself he positioned his mouth over the hole and blew air into it expecting for some kind of noise to come out of it. To his surprise nothing came out of his actions. This simple observation told him that she was the only one capable of using it.

Removing his mouth he placed the flute back in his pocket and sat up from his bed. His eyes drifted to the corner where his sensei was sitting down just yesterday. His sensei had left since he really wasn't supposed to be involved in the mission this much. He advised for him to lay low for a while and wait for Jiraiya to come back and give further instructions. The idea of being literally trapped in this place wasn't very pleasant since he didn't know when that old man would come back. Another thing Itachi warned him about was the use of his powers. He forbid him from using them because it could potentially harm him. He didn't quite understand since a little bit of blood wasn't something to freak out about but Itachi was older and wiser so he didn't resist.

Sighing in frustration he got out of the bed and walked to the spot Tayuya had fallen. He crouched down and slowly dragged his fingers across the dried blood. _'I guess us monsters share the same blood as normal people huh.' _He thought and unconsciously clenched his fist. Whoever had taken her was clearly her ally for them to save her from his attack. What he didn't know was whether it was by choice or force. He needed to find out who their leader was if he wanted to know that information.

His hand quickly went to cover his mouth as he began to violently cough. It lasted several moment until it eventually died down. His eyes glanced at his hand and wondered whether that was his own blood or Tayuya's. Standing up he made his way to the small restroom and flicked the light switch on. Channeling chakra to his eyes like Itachi had taught him they morphed into the sharingan. If one were to look at him like this they would immediately assume he was an Uchiha. Even though it was a complete surprise he got them in the first place. To him it felt like he was meant to have them all along. Perhaps these eyes were part of the gift his parents had left him.

His usage with them was nonexistent considering he only got them. To remedy that fact Itachi told him that he would properly train him on how to utilize them to its fullest potential. First he needed to complete this mission which seemed to never end. As he stared at his own reflection in the restroom mirror he noticed his skin had gotten visibly paler. His hair had lost its golden sheen and was now a dull blond. His core temperature had taken a dramatic turn as well. It was like he was dying right before his very eyes. These visible changes began when he had acquired the sharingan. Whether that had any correlation between the changes he had no idea.

Deciding to take a quick shower he undressed and stepped in. He hoped it would calm him down and make him relax. As soon as the cold water hit his body he let out a sigh of relief not at all bothered by the freezing temperatures. It seemed that over the course of the changes his body had geared towards cold for some reason. Feeling he had been there enough he slowly stepped out and dried himself off. As he changed into his normal clothing he noticed his body felt weakened. Because of this he dragged himself to his bed and laid down. Sleep quickly overtook him.

**(Underground Base in Otogakure)**

Orochimaru sat in his throne and patiently waited for Tayuya to awaken. He needed her to tell him more about the boy she had fought. Unfortunately the diagnosis was not a pleasant one. Kabuto had told him it would be at least a week before she would recover. It was made clear to him that if it were not for Kimimaro coming in at the right time she would not be alive. This of course only increased his intrigue with the boy and wanted to find out even more about him. His golden snake like eyes glowed in the darkness as he thought of a plan to lure the boy into his clutches and become a potential ally for him. He already had several promising members that were willing to lay their lives for him but he still needed higher caliber shinobi like the boy and Kimimaro.

His eyes subtly glanced to his disciple as he impassively stood there like a stature with cold dead eyes. Honestly he could never quite understand what he was thinking. At the end of the day he didn't really need to know since he knew that Kimimaro was one of his most loyal subordinates. Add to the fact that he was incredibly strong for someone so young. He was the last of the once great Kaguya clan who were gifted with a very unique bloodline limit that made him virtually indestructible. That reason alone is why he had chosen him to become his next vessel in the future. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt the presence of his other loyal subordinate Kabuto. He guessed he had an update on Tayuya's condition. Rising from his throne he walked over to Kabuto who was looking at his clipboard.

Kabuto peeked over his glasses and saw his master waiting for him to update him on the status of Tayuya. He signaled him to follow him down a dark corridor and spoke as they walked. "Orochimaru-sama I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first? He asked as they both continued to walk down the dark hall.

The pale man continued to gaze forward and answered the medic. "Stop with the games Kabuto-san."

Kabuto smirked and adjusted his glasses. "Hehe forgive me Orochimaru-sama. Very well lets start with the good news. She will recover from her injures in relatively good time but as I treated her I also found huge amounts of lightning in her system and was unable to extract it all."

Orochimaru looked at him as they turned a corner. "How does this affect her?

Kabuto looked at him and answered. "She will be unable to use any sort of jutsu for a while unless I discover a way to extract the lightning faster. At this point I don't see a better solution than just resting. If you look at it closer it was if he was killing her from the inside with pure lightning."

Orochimaru nodded and continued his way down the long corridor for Tayuya's room. "What kind of power did the boy possess when you watched them." He wanted to learn more about this seemingly powerful young man that managed to defeat Tayuya with relative ease. That was truly something to be impressed about considering she had his gift called the curse mark. He had given his gift to several of his subordinates who had potential. They also needed to have enough darkness in their heart to activate it at will. His attention was diverted when Kabuto began his explanation.

"Surprisingly all of his moves were reminiscent of the Raikage of Kumogakure. They were purely lightning styled and contained considerable power behind them."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly at the comparison with the Raikage and his elemental affinity. "Did you catch how he was doing his moves? Did he use any kind of hand signs for them?

Kabuto adjusted his glasses once again and shook his head. "That is the most troubling part. Not once did I see him perform any hand signs for his moves. One of them was incredibly destructive that I had to move back or risk getting caught in the blast."

Orochimaru was in deep thought over what his second in command was telling him. He had never seen or heard of a kid that was able to produce such high level jutsu without the need of hand signs. "Anything else Kabuto-san."

Instead of telling him through words the silver haired man scribbled the information and showed it to his curious master.

Orochimaru's eyes widened at what he was seeing. With this information in his grasp. The idea of bringing the boy into his group was incredibly more enticing. He would make a formidable ally if he was successful.

Both of them finally reached the girl's room and silently slipped into it seeing her peacefully sleeping on the bed. Her body was attached with many things which monitored her health and alerted Kabuto if any complications arose.

Orochimaru inspected the girl's sleeping figure and saw no injuries on the outside. On the inside however it was a whole other story.

Kabuto who was writing on his clipboard noticed his masters eyes on him. "It's only a matter of time before she is well enough to awaken. Are you going to pursue the boy or leave him alone? He asked interested if he would send Kimimaro or himself to get the boy. The medic's eyes followed his master as he made his way to the exit.

"There's no need to send you two. As soon as Tayuya wakes up inform her of what she needs to do."

Kabuto nodded and went back in trying to find a solution to speed up her recovery. She needed to be ready to go like Orochimaru had instructed.

_1 week later..._

**(Hotel Room)**

Naruto was still trapped inside since he had yet to hear from Jiraiya. His time thus far was spent on sleeping since no matter how much he slept he still felt incredibly exhausted. Deciding he needed to take a shower he slowly forced his body upright and dragged his feet to the shower. Flicking the light switch on he looked at his reflection in the mirror and was disturbed at his own image. His once vibrant golden hair was lifeless and whenever he tried to turn his sharingan on nothing would happen. It was like something was blocking it from the inside. Touching his face he confirmed what he had felt a couple days ago. Something was seriously wrong with him but he didn't know what.

Moving away from the mirror he undressed and got into the shower. He showered in the coldest water possible. That was the only thing that would bring him comfort to his fatigued body. He finished his shower quickly wanting to go to sleep once again. Just as he was about to go to sleep he sensed someone was heading straight for him. His eyes rested on the large window sill in his room and was greeted by Tayuya. Who took it upon herself to open the window and enter without permission.

She stood motionless for the longest time as she glared at him seemingly waiting for him to start the conversation.

"Why have you come back Tayuya-san? Do you have a death wish or do you actually have a reason for disturbing my peace."

Tayuya merely clenched her fist and wailed him straight in the face. To her surprise she actually managed to hit him noticing he didn't even try to move out of the way. The next moment he saw him violently cough out a lot of blood and stood confused that her punch would do that much damage. "H-hey you bastard! I didn't even hit you that hard so why are you coughing out blood?! Are you sick or something? She questioned him surprising herself with the amount of concern she was feeling for the boy.

Naruto was slow to recover from his most violent coughing fit to date. Like with everything it eventually passed as he tiredly looked at the worried girl who was waiting for an explanation. With a weak smile he responded. "...It's funny seeing you worried about someone who was trying to kill you just a week ago. I can't feel any power left in you Tayuya-san. I could easily finish the job I started." He threatened but honestly didn't really mean what he was saying.

Tayuya scoffed at his threat. "You're one to talk. It's your fucking fault I'm so weak right now you shit head. Did you think your lightning power wouldn't do any damage to me? Of course it would but don't worry. I'll get my full strength back real soon. You'll see." She beamed the boy a rare smile showing him that he didn't need to worry about her situation.

Naruto's eyes widen slightly at her smile. He couldn't believe how calm she was even though she was standing right in front of the person that almost ended her life. Suddenly he remembered that he had something that belonged to her. Reaching into this pocket he handed the flute back to her. "I believe this belongs to you Tayuya-san." He gently placed it into her trembling hands not believing what she was seeing.

While she was in the infirmary recovering she discovered that her most prized possession was missing. She had sent Kimimaro to go look for it at the battle site but was heartbroken when all that was left was nothing but dirt and rubble. Now fast forward a week and the same person who tried to kill her was simply giving it to her back like it was nothing. She gripped the flute firmly and brought it to her chest not believing what she was holding. She thought she had lost the only thing that her now deceased mother had given.

Naruto's dull blue eyes saw the red headed girl's eyes begin to water. This told him that the flute was something she truly cared about. "I noticed Tayu was engraved on the flute. Was she your mother? He struggled a bit feeling more exhausted as the conversation went along. All he wanted to do right now was close his eyes and slip into blissful sleep.

Her eyes hardened at the mention of her name. To his surprise she sat on his bed while her eyes drifted to the aged flute. "...Tayu was the name of my mother. She gave me this flute when I was small. I was surprised that she gave it to me since I would always see her play it on her free time. Her music was the most beautiful thing I had heard in my life and I always loved when she would only play for me." She smiled and continued. "I was so happy when she gave it to me and immediately asked for her to teach me how to play like her. But...even through all her teachings I could never get it exactly right. Even though I never did manage to copy her sound she would always tell me that my music was even more beautiful. As time passed I too came to love my own music."

Her beautiful smile quickly changed into one of pure anguish and rage. "That all changed when my parents were killed and my village destroyed." Her fists clenched so hard her own fingernails dug deep into her palms leaking blood. "When I catch those fuckers that planned this. I will make them eat fucking glass and swallow it down with acid! Lets see how they like melting from the inside like they caused to countless of innocent people! Her curse mark pulsated from the overwhelming darkness inside her heart but did not manifest.

Naruto was so enraged that he did not feel his own power manifest around him. The one thing he absolutely detested was taking an innocents life away. He would only kill if the situation demanded it but would not stoop so low as to kill civilians who couldn't even defend themselves. Without warning he felt something snap inside his chest and was immediately followed by large amounts of blood leaking from his mouth. His power quickly plummeted to zero and his consciousness was quickly fading.

Tayuya turned her head and was horrified by the scene in front of her. Naruto was grabbing his chest in pain and she didn't know what was causing it. "Why are you coughing out blood again?! Did you get injured during out fight?! She asked in desperation but was not answered.

Naruto desperately tried to calm himself down. His breathing was erratic and his heartbeat was through the roof. No matter what he tried his body was not responding to his commands. To make it worse his chest felt like it was about to burst at any second.

Tayuya quickly reached out to help him but was immediately waved off.

Naruto denied her help even though blood seeped through the crevices of his mouth. "...I'm fine..." The very next moment the seemingly invincible boy fell to the floor and seemed to stop breathing.

Tayuya hyperventilated as she desperately tried to revive him. She knew she couldn't do much so with some quick thinking she grabbed him and bolted out the window headed to the only place she knew could save him. Without warning her eyes watered at the thought of him dying. He was the only person she had told her dark story to. "Please don't die on me Naruto! You're the strongest person I have ever faced so you absolutely can't die from this you hear me! She screamed to herself but honestly did not know how this would end. She arrived at the base in record time and expertly navigated through the dark hallways. She headed straight to Kabuto's infirmary where she was confronted Orochimaru.

Orochimaru saw her troubled expression but disregarded it upon seeing the seemingly knocked out boy on her back. "Did he agree with our plan? He questioned with a hint of annoyance. His thinking quickly changed when he noticed the ever confident and strong Tayuya begin to tremble and whisper to him something that he did not expect.

"...He's dying." Her words filled with fear.

Without hesitation he flared his chakra signaling Kabuto to come.

The next second Kabuto appeared ready for his orders. "Orochimaru-sama? He followed his masters eyes and understood the situation. Taking the boy from her hands he disappeared to the infirmary.

_Several hours later..._

**(Underground Base in Otogakure)**

Both master and subordinate were patiently waiting outside the infirmary for Kabuto to finish and tell them exactly what was wrong with the boy.

Kabuto slowly came out of the room looking extremely pale from using most of his chakra in trying to save Naruto. He looked at his master and gave his diagnosis. "I'm going to be blunt. His whole nervous system is shot to hell. It appears his own powers somehow rewired his entire chakra network making him suffer chakra poisoning from his own chakra."

Orochimaru grimaced at the news knowing how deadly chakra poising was considering there wasn't any real cure to treat it. "Will he live? He asked plainly.

Kabuto pushed his glasses up and answered the man. "I don't see him making it through the night Orochimaru-sama."

This did not sit well with the girl resulting in her grabbing the silver haired man by the jacket. "What do you mean he won't fucking make it?! Can't you fix him?! I thought you were the best medic out there! She screamed at man as she suffered from denial at the news he had given her.

Kabuto simply pushed her off and explained once more. "His whole nervous system has been cut off making it impossible even for me to save him. The only thing that is keeping him alive is a mysterious lightning cloak covering his entire body. Even with that he will not make it through the night." He coldly told her forcing her to accept the reality of the situation.

Tayuya's eyes were now lifeless at the realization. "Can I see him? She asked in a whisper.

Kabuto nodded but warned her. "Absolutely refrain from touching him or the lightning around him will kill you understand."

The three of them entered the room and saw Naruto laying peacefully on the bed. A thin veil of lighting covered his body.

Tayuya approached him and smiled at seeing his gently face. That smile quickly turned grim when all three of them witnessed the only thing keeping him alive suddenly vanish.

Of the three of them there. Tayuya was the only one who seemed to care about his apparent death. She put her ear over his chest in desperation trying to find any sign that the was still alive. She found none.

Orochimaru turned his head and told his second in command his order. "Prepare his body for some tests. We need to find out what was going on inside of him."

Just when Kabuto was about to agree a sudden bright light erupted from the boy's body and engulfed the entire room in light. As soon as it died down they could immediately see the difference. His hair had regained its golden sheen back and his breathing had stabilized. The lightning around his body had returned with a vengeance and seemed stronger than ever. A strange seal that went unnoticed besides Orochimaru had appeared all around his body. Instead of sharing this detail he marveled at the enormous power boost the boy seemed to acquire.

**Authors Note: And scene. Tell me what you think and I promise the next chapter won't take this long to come out. As always if you have any questions please let me know in the form of a review or pm. I answer all of them...mostly. Until next time BlackCrow Out! **


	13. The Sound Four

**Authors Note: Welcome once again to another chapter of my story. I hope you enjoy and review. Thanks for reading. **

**The Sound Four**

_1 week later..._

**(Underground Base in Otogakure)**

An entire week had passed since Naruto was brought to the hidden base by Tayuya. Currently the room where Naruto was resting at was silent. Tayuya was also there with signs of sadness written in her expression. For the past week she had constantly checked on his status and hoped he woke up. She had to admit that a bit of doubt lingered in her mind on whether he would ever wake up from this. She had asked Kabuto about this but he only told her that she needed to be patient. She was never one to be patient but she knew better than to argue with the medic. Her eyes shifted to his sleeping body and a question lingered in her mind. Why did she feel so attached to him even though she had met him just recently. Was it because he was strong? Or was it something deeper.

These questions had lingered on her mind for the past week and frustrated her that she couldn't do anything for him when he needed it the most. Her eyes glowed blue as they reflected the lightning shield around the boy that prevented anyone from touching him. She slowly reached for her flute and gazed at it. Just a week ago she thought it was gone from her life forever but fortunately that wasn't the case. She brought the flute to her mouth and played her music. The sound bounced around the almost empty room echoing because of it. As she continued playing her Doki appeared and noticed how depressed she seemed. So they danced like they did when she was a child whenever she was sad.

Tayuya's closed eyes opened and smiled at seeing the demonic looking Doki dancing around her. This brought back many memories of her childhood. A particular memory of her mother humming whenever she played her flute. This always encouraged her to play even more which made her mother even happier. Slowly she stopped playing resulting in her Doki disappearing. This left the kunochi reminiscing about the past and how it would never be the same again. Never again would she experience having dinner with her family. Never again would she experience her beautiful mother smiling and telling her happy birthday. Never again would she unwrap the presents they had worked hard together. With tears running down her cheeks she put her precious flute back into her pocket and stood up.

As she walked to the door she took one last glance at Naruto before going through the door and closing it behind her. Silently she walked down the dark corridor to her room. Her room was very plain compared to an average teenage girl would have. She didn't mind since they moved to much to really call a place home. Her room had a single bed, a dresser and a small bathroom. She made her way to her bed where she gently grabbed the single portrait near her bed that had her mother, father and her happily smiling in front of her house. Putting it back down she sprawled herself against the bed as sleep was quickly beginning to set it. Who would have thought that watching someone for an entire day would be this exhausting. For the past weeks that's exactly what she had done. Every single time she hoped that he would wake up or at least show any signs of movement.

Unfortunately today was another bust but as always she reassured herself that it was just a matter of time before he woke up. All she needed to do was have faith and be patient for just a bit longer. Her eyes shifted to her digital clock that read 2:00AM. _'Damn its late. Why am I still awake? I should be resting for tomorrow which I'm sure will be another long day.' _Knowing she wasn't going to sleep anytime soon she decided to check on him once more hoping for a miracle. She quickly hopped out the bed and rounded the corner headed straight from where she came. She didn't go far when her eyes came in contact with something at the very far end of the dark corridor. Demonic blood red eyes shone ominously in the dark corridor centered directly on her.

Her entire body felt the need to run but for the life of her it felt like she couldn't move an inch if she wanted to. The figure across the corridor continued to look at her with those demonic looking eyes that seemed not to blink. Even though fear was overpowering her right now she still managed to speak and try to have a conversation with whatever was standing across her. "How did you get in here? She asked wondering how someone could know where their hideout was so easily. To her annoyance the figure merely continued to stand and watch her. She tried to come up with a logical explanation as to how this person managed to slip through Orochimaru and honestly didn't know if she was dreaming or not.

One thing was certain. She was being ignored and the one thing she detested was being ignored. "Hey! Freak with the crazy eyes! I asked you a question. How did you get in here and what the fuck do you want? She yelled and threw him a fierce glare seemingly losing all the fear she had just a moment ago.

The figure in the dark seemed intent on ignoring her the entire time but to her surprise he responded. "I see that foul mouth of yours is still alive and well. I'm glad Tayuya-san." He smirked and walked towards her who seemed even more confused than ever.

Tayuya did not understand what was happening and was confused as to why this complete stranger was having a conversation like they had known each other before. "Why the hell are you talking to me like you're my fucking friend? Stop! Don't fucking walk towar..." Her sentence was cut short when her mouth was covered by Naruto's hand who whispered into her ear.

"Let's be generous for once and let the villagers sleep in piece. They certainly don't want to hear your ear wrenching howl that you so dearly have for a voice."

Tayuya stood wide eyes upon realizing who the person was that was standing right beside her. Her cheeks reddened slightly from the contact which went unnoticed in the darkness.

Naruto removed his hand from her mouth seeing that she now realized who he was. However one thing he did not expect was a straight out punch that pushed him back a bit. It didn't even faze the boy but he still acted the part for her. "You do realize I just woke up right. A punch to the face is certainly not something that will help me." He told her bluntly as he witnessed the foul mouthed Tayuya fall to her knees and breakdown. He did not understand why this confident girl was practically sobbing right in front of him but what little social interactions he had he finally understood why.

This brought him a painful reminder to the time Maki was crying. Seeing her like this was definitely not good for his spirits. This only made him believe that it was him that was causing all this unnecessary pain to the very people that he was supposed to be protecting. He did not like the image of a crying girl and his body reacted on instinct. However as opposed of only lightning appearing this time it was accompanied with a drastic change in temperature that resulted in thick ice forming along side the walls and floor originating from his feet.

Tayuya felt the dramatic drop in temperature and shivered at the ice cold temperatures she was feeling. She glanced up and noticed him staring at her with those red eyes of his while being covered by a potent amount of lightning. The ground around him had also frozen over which brought the question of his power. Those thoughts didn't last long as she quickly regained her composure and saw his gaze wasn't directed on her anymore. It went past her. Her eyes widened in realization and quickly spun around and was confronted with her master Orochimaru. She was confused as to why she didn't sense him coming before. She had always been able to sense him since he felt that he didn't need to hide his power from them. What made this different was beyond her.

Orochimaru stood tall as his yellow eyes shone in the darkness much like the boy's own red ones. His confident smirk was present as well. "It seems our patient has awakened. Interesting that you possess the sharingan boy. May I know how you got them."

Tayuya quickly went to her master who had discretely signaled for her to bring the others in case things got heated. She was a bit hesitant in bringing them all since she didn't know what her master planned to do with Naruto. The probability of Naruto being killed was extremely high. All it took was for Orochimaru to give the signal and his subordinates would obey. Even her.

While Tayuya retrieved them Orochimaru and Naruto continued to stare each other down. Naruto already knew he did not stand a chance at defeating him. The pale man in front of him was hiding his true power from him for whatever reason. He could feel several other chakra sources behind the man that were equally as powerful when Tayuya had transformed if not more. This made the situation worse. For him at least. His level two sharingan eyes saw the others arrive and calmly take their place beside their master. In total there was four of them including Tayuya. He could feel them hiding their power as well but his instinct told him that something was missing. His eyes told him that something was coming from behind and that something was extremely fast.

That something was aimed right for him and had the intent to kill. Moving to his right his sharingan eyes met his cold blue ones as the mysterious figure landed beside his master. This was the very same man that had saved Tayuya that fateful night.

Orochimaru spoke to his fellow pupil without turning his eyes away from Naruto. "I thought I made my self clear when I said not to attack him Kimimaro."

Kimimaro stood motionless while his eyes remained squarely on the boy's. "Forgive my insubordination Orochimaru-sama. I did not mean to kill him. I just wanted to test how far his reflexes went personally." He replied as he inspected the unique red eyes the boy possessed and remembered that his master had informed him that his former village had shinobi with strange red eyes capable of predicting your movement with incredible precision. This made them virtually impossible to catch of guard when activated. "I'm guessing these are the eyes you mentioned the other day Orochimaru-sama?

The powerful Sannin nodded. "That is correct. Those eyes are something you should be afraid of. Uchiha are not someone you take lightly."

Naruto rested his eyes back on the man called Orochimaru and asked. "So what do you want with me? I got things to do."

Orochimaru smirked at the boy's cockiness. "If I were you I would be a little nicer to the people that basically brought you back from the brink of death."

Naruto remembered passing out in the hotel room but after that it was blank. "I'm grateful for that but like I said before I got things to do. So just tell me what you want from me."

Orochimaru continued to watch the boy with a smirk plastered on his face. "It seems you don't quite understand your situation. I could kill right where you stand if I wanted to boy."

Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly at his threat and watched as a strange shinobi with two heads stepped forward.

Sakon was not pleased with the way this nobody was talking to his master. "Why can't we just kill this trash and go back to sleep. I mean he's basically asking for it by disrespecting you and making us feel like we're beneath him. Even though we were nice enough to let him sleep in our base for the whole week. Which I might add is supposed to be top secret in the first place but whatever you're the boss."

Orochimaru chuckled at his subordinates words. "Don't forget Sakon. This person easily defeated Tayuya and destroyed her Doki in the process."

Sakon scoffed at his response. "Please I could kill Tayuya if I wanted to. Its not that hard really. We all know I'm the strongest person in the group not counting Kimimaro. I really don't see your point Orochimaru-sama."

Tayuya scowled and responded. "Shut the fuck up you mutant. I could kill you anytime I want. I just don't try it because your filthy blood will stain my flute that's all."

Sakon shrugged. "Yeah we all know how strong you are Tayuya. Don't get mad at me when I wasn't the one who got their ass handed to them."

Tayuya glared at him. _'Just you wait you fucking freak. I will kill you and then I will become the most powerful person in this group.' _

Sakon saw the kunochi laughing to herself and it honestly creeped the hell out of him. "Can you at least stop that creepy smile of yours. Its giving even me the creeps just seeing it."

Tayuya's evil smirk vanished when she heard the two headed man. "Shut the fuck up Sakon and stop fucking talking so much. You're fucking annoying me so why don't you just go fuck yourself."

Sakon saw the brilliant opportunity of a comeback and took it. "How about I fuck you instead? I know girls have special needs they need to satisfy right." He suggested knowing exactly how the kunochi would react.

Tayuya immediately appeared in front of him and swung at him with full force.

Sakon was sent flying but still had a smile on his face as he flew away and shouted. "Totally worth it!

The biggest of the four felt the need to interject. "You didn't have to hit him so hard Tayuya. He was just making a joke that's all."

Tayuya still had her scowl on full effect. "Shut the hell up Jirobo. Who the hell asked for your opinion you fat piece of shit. Nobody cares what comes out of that disgusting hole that you call a mouth." She spit out.

The hefty man identified as Jirobo merely ignored her insulting comment and turned around knowing his role in this conversation had ended.

The last person in the group had six arms and felt the need to step into the conversation. "Lighten up Tayuya. Sakon was only kidding around. I mean we all know by now that you like girls. So chill out would you."

Tayuya's anger levels soared at what he had implied and just when she was about to swing at him as well she stopped in her tracks when she felt her masters gaze.

Naruto watched the whole thing in confusion at the way they acted towards each other. It honestly seemed like they were a normal family bickering against each other. His red eyes shifted to Orochimaru's and asked. "Can we move this along? Just tell me what you want with me. My boredom level is growing uncomfortably high and the only thing I want is to leave."

Orochimaru stepped forward. "Kukuku...very well boy. To put it simply I want you to join us. I could give you power beyond your wildest imagination. I could fulfill your craving for power that you undoubtedly hold deep in your heart."

Naruto remained calm. "Oh...you figure I desire power?

Orochimaru chuckled. "Don't we all boy? You're no different than the rest of us." He moved his hand across the group behind him that included Tayuya.

By now he had assumed that Tayuya wanted power. But did he need it? Right now he felt amazing and would no doubt feel even more amazing if the power he promised actually happened. However, was it worth being labeled a missing-nin just for the sake of power and the chance of seeing Tayuya. The fact that he already had someone who would make him stronger only made the choice more obvious. With that being mentioned he made his decision and told the patient leader his answer. "I'm going to have to decline your offer Orochimaru."

Orochimaru smirked even wider seemingly already knowing what his answer would be all along. "I understand but for the sake of knowing. Would you care to indulge us as to why you declined?

Naruto quickly answered. "I have people waiting for me in Konoha. They would be very disappointed in me if I betrayed the promise I made to them." His eyes glanced to where Tayuya had been standing and saw her walking away in disappointment.

Orochimaru nodded and signaled for his men to stand aside. "You may leave now Naruto-kun."

Naruto nodded and walked past them to where he believed the exit was located. As he distanced himself from them he heard murmurs of discontent coming from the three which were quickly silenced by their leader. As he neared the exit he was greeted by a shinobi with glasses and recalled him watching over him.

The silver haired shinobi greeted him with a smile but his words were completely opposite. "Word of advise Naruto-kun. Do not betray us. We will kill Tayuya if you do understand." He threatened.

Naruto did not answer the man and slipped right through the exit. He was greeted by the darkness of the forest. He glanced back one last time before vanishing to his room where he was greeted with two men.

**(Hotel Room)**

These two men were Jiraiya and his sensei. Itachi was in the very corner of the room and the only thing that was visible were his eyes that never seemed to budge. His own sharingan eyes met with his and knew where this conversation was going. Before it began he walked to the open window and gazed at the glowing moon above. "I thought you weren't supposed to show yourself doing the mission Itachi-sensei? Was I mistaken?

Itachi continued watching the boy. "If you're worried about Jiraiya finding me then worry not. He already knows."

Naruto nodded and continued watching the night sky. His ears perked up when his sensei asked him the inevitable.

"I thought I specifically told you to stay in your room and wait for Jiraiya-sama. But it looks like you had other plans. Care to explain."

Finally he turned towards his sensei and wondered whether he should tell him everything. It only took him a couple moments to make the decision to be honest. "I'll tell you but you've got to keep it to yourself. Can you do that Itachi-sensei?

Itachi nodded with a calm expression. "I give you my word Naruto-kun."

Naruto nodded and began his explanation. "As I waited for Jiraiya to come I began to feel incredibly tired for no reason. It didn't take long before I was coughing blood on a regular basis and the next thing I knew I had awakened in an incredibly dark place. That's when I met him."

Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who was it? The anbu captain could see that his student was a bit hesitant. That hesitation quickly vanished as he saw him walk to him and crouch to eye level.

Naruto focused his eyes on his sensei and told him. "Orochimaru." He whispered the name not knowing whether they were watching him. He didn't want Tayuya to get hurt because of him.

Itachi's eyes hardened at the mention of that name.

Naruto saw the change and wondered what could make the always calm Itachi act this way. "Who is this Orochimaru person Itachi-sensei? He wanted to know more information on the man who offered him power and controlled his friend.

"That man you mentioned is the most notorious missing-nin from Konoha that was once in the running on becoming Hokage. He is also known as one of the legendary three known around the five great nations as the legendary Sannin."

Naruto now understood just how lucky he was to have even got out of that place in one piece. "Who are the other two Sannin Itachi-sensei?

Itachi's eyes went past his student and focused on the man that was snoring so loud it surprised him no one in the hotel had filed a complaint. "Jiraiya,Orochimaru and Tsunade are the three."

Naruto's eyes widened and immediately went to the sleeping figure of Jiraiya and couldn't fathom that this man was one of the three. I guess its true when they say that looks can be deceiving. This made him realize just how much training he still needed and also how much of the world's events he had to catch up on.

Itachi saw his student shocked over the fact that he had met two of the most powerful shinobi but he still needed some answers. "What did he offer you Naruto-kun?

Naruto snapped out of his shocked state and answered. "He offered me power and a place in his group if I left Konoha."

The Uchiha's gaze hardened at the offer. "Did you accept?

Naruto shook his head. "No."

Itachi didn't show it but he was relieved that his future student wouldn't abandon his village that easily. "What does he hold over you that prevents you from telling Jiraiya-sama?

Naruto walked over to the open window once more and growled. "A friend I made here that practically saved my life. They threatened to kill her if I mentioned anything about them."

Itachi remained silent and simply closed his eyes.

Naruto saw this and walked to the other dark corner. He was definitely not going to wake up Jiraiya and ask for his bed back. Closing his eyes he let the silence of the night embrace him.

**Authors Note: And scene. Hope you enjoyed and if you have any questions please leave them in the form of a review or pm. Until next time BlackCrow Out! **


	14. Cruel Reality

**Authors Note: Welcome once again to another chapter of my story. I hope you enjoy and review. Until next time. **

**Cruel Reality**

_The next day..._

Naruto was greeted with the overwhelming brightness of the morning light. Slowly he sat up and while he stretched noticed that both Jiraiya and his sensei were nowhere to be seen. His eyes spotted a small note placed on top of his bed. Grabbing it he read. _'Hey kid didn't want to wake you so early. Me and Itachi went on a little stroll but whenever you wake up just head towards the front gate. Your mission is over and I know this is sudden but I'll explain more once we meet.' _Naruto pocketed the small note and did what it said. While he headed to the main gate he remembered that this road was the very same he had walked since the beginning. _'I can't believe its almost been a whole month since I came here. A lot of things have happened since...' _

It didn't take him very long before he could see the entrance to the village as both Itachi and Jiraiya waited for him to arrive. Well that's what he thought at first but apparently the white haired toad sage had another feeling.

"What the hell kid! I kindly let you sleep for a while longer and this is how you repay me?! Do you realize just how long we've been standing here waiting for your slow ass to get here?! I could've been enjoying myself with some fine women who would be willing to do anything for me do you understand." The toad sage complained to the boy while Itachi continued to watch the forest in front of him with no regard to the current conservation whatsoever. Sometimes he wondered what went through that genius mind of his.

Naruto's expression did not change even though he was being told what he did wrong. His expression did not match what came out of his mouth whatsoever. "Forgive me Jiraiya-sama. I didn't realize you gave up so much just so I could sleep a while longer."

Jiraiya felt a combination of emotions when he heard his apology. For one thing he felt good that he was being apologized to. On the other hand the way he said it creeped him out. "As long as you understand just how awesome I am. Oh! Before I forget. Here give this to the old man and you'll be rewarded alright." Jiraiya tossed a sealed scroll to the boy which he quickly caught and hid in his backpack.

Naruto thought they were all set to go but at the last second he was stopped by Jiraiya.

"Hey kid it seems like someone doesn't want you to go just yet." He pointed behind him.

Naruto turned his head and was surprised to see Tayuya standing there with her arms across her chest. Even though he wasn't that good with females or anyone for that matter. He could still tell when someone was pissed and the girl ahead of him looked livid. Turning his head he informed both men. "This won't take long."

Jiraiya looked at Itachi and asked. "Who is that girl? And why does an emotionless runt like him know someone like that?

Itachi meanwhile was still gazing at the empty road ahead of him and only gave him a brief answer. "Don't worry about it."

Jiraiya scoffed at his answer and turned his head back to the situation in front of him. Fortunately with his infinite wisdom in the fine arts of women he immediately knew what the boy was going through. It honestly made him proud since he too had to leave behind his lover in search of more beautiful women. Wiping a genuine tear he cheered the boy on. "Bravo kid! Make sure to let her down gently!

Naruto ignored his shouting and continued forward until he reached the furious kunochi. "Is it a good idea to be in the open like this. You do realize that we are considered enemies...Tayuya-chan."

Tayuya's eyes narrowed. "What the fuck is with the chan at the end of my name? You're not my fucking boyfriend!

Naruto remained calm and answered. "I consider you a friend that's all."

Tayuya's anger only rose at his nonchalant response. "What the fuck gave you even the slightest idea that me and you were friends? You fucking tried to kill me! If Kimimaro didn't interfere I would be dead! So take that friendship and shove it up your ass you fucking idiot!

Naruto did not respond to her harsh insults. He merely turned around and began to walk away.

Tayuya saw this and couldn't help but shout. "Hey! Where the hell are you going?

Naruto stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "We're no longer friends right? I guess in your mind we never were."

Tayuya flinched at his cold tone but knew it was her fault. She always did this to anyone that showed even an inkling of care for her. "H-here take this."

Naruto felt something cold in his palm and saw it was a necklace that had a tiny silver locket attached. He carefully opened the locket which held two pictures. On the left side it appeared to be a picture of her mother while on the right side it held a picture of a tiny Tayuya at about five years old. With a rare smile he gently placed it around his neck. "Does this mean we're friends Tayuya-chan?

Tayuya had another word stuck in her mind but being friends was enough for now. "Yeah dickhead. We're friends."

Naruto chuckled and started to leave but once again he was stopped.

Tayuya turned him around and kissed him on the cheek.

Naruto touched his cheek not believing she would actually do something like that. "What was that for Tayuya-chan?

Tayuya refused to make eye contact. "Just go with it shithead."

Just before she walked away Naruto grabbed her from behind and hugged her. It was now her turn to ask. "W-what are you doing shithead!

Naruto released her and smiled. "That was for saving me Tayuya-chan."

Tayuya was shocked at his words. A few tears managed to slip through her impenetrable walls as she saw him begin to walk away. "You better not fucking forget me Naruto-kun!

Naruto nodded and gave her his word. "Don't worry Tayuya-chan. We'll meet again."

Jiraiya smirked and grabbed him by the shoulders. "It seems we have a little Casanova on our hands but tell me something. Were the hell did you meet her? And how in the world can you stand that mouth of hers? She was practically insulting you the entire time!

Naruto shrugged. "That's her way of showing her love or hate towards people. It actually doesn't offend me at all."

Jiraiya was amused at how lightly he was taking the whole situation. "Just wait kid. Once you're an adult and that woman is still around. You won't be saying those words so nonchalantly." Looking to the sky he described another image to the boy. "Just imagine a fully grown Tayuya screaming at you while she's having a baby."

Naruto looked disturbed at the image. "You can't be serious Jiraiya-sama. How in the world would Tayuya get pregnant in the first place?

Jiraiya didn't know whether to take him seriously or not. Then again he was only ten. "What I meant is that you would be in the delivery room while she cursed you out for getting her there in the first place. You idiot."

Naruto expression turned dark. "That will never happen."

Jiraiya's smile disappeared when he saw the boy's expression. His eyes turned to Itachi who just looked at him and shook his head. _'What the hell happened while I was gone? _

**(Underground Base in Otogakure)**

Kabuto stood in front of his master Orochimaru. "May I ask why you let the boy go so easily. I mean we practically had him surrounded Orochimaru-sama."

Orochimaru was currently sitting in his throne like chair. He smirked at his second in commands question. "By now you've known me long enough that there is always a plan behind my actions. This is no different Kabuto-san. Everything is under control..." He darkly chuckled, echoing ominously in the dark place.

_1 week later..._

Naruto was currently walking alone. Jiraiya had parted ways with him about halfway saying he had other business to attend to. Same thing with Itachi. He had been assigned another mission once he was done watching over him. Now before his very eyes stood the glorious enormous village walls that protected Konoha. This brought him an unprecedented amount of nostalgia but that quickly faded when his eyes saw several anbu members waiting for him.

"Welcome back Uzumaki-san. Hokage-sama has been expecting you to return any day now and has requested for you to immediately come see him."

Naruto stood calmly. "Can't it wait anbu-san?

The anbu stood frozen and shook his head. "This cannot wait Uzumaki-san. Hokage-sama has deemed this too important to be left unsaid. Especially because it concerns you personally."

Naruto's body tensed feeling a very ominous sensation of dread begin to fill his heart. "Take me."

The anbu nodded and put a hand on his shoulder. In a flash they arrived to the Hokage tower where they quickly dispersed on the Hokage's commands.

Naruto's bright blue eyes focused on the absent minded Hokage who had a serious face as he gazed out the large windows in his office. Clenching his fists he asked. "What happened..."

Uncomfortable silence overtook the room as both of them stood in place. Finally after what seemed like an eternity to the boy the man answered him. "Naruto-kun...Chi...has died..."

Naruto's peripheral vision began to darken as the realization of the news hit him like a ton of bricks. "W-what did you just say...?

Sarutobi turned around and stared at him with hardened eyes. "She was murdered Naruto-kun."

Naruto didn't have time to react to the news before Sarutobi bombarded him with even more tragic news. "Go to the Hospital Naruto-kun. Maki-chan will not make it another night."

Naruto didn't hesitate and quickly vanished out of the office and appeared in the Hospital.

**(Konoha Hospital)**

Naruto's eyes widened at the image of an extremely pale Maki that was hooked up to an endless amount of machines. This horrified the young boy and never in his life did he imagine he would see one of his best friends in this state.

Maki's eyes slowly opened as they sensed the familiar scent of him. Struggling to turn her head she laid her eyes on his worried face. If this was a couple days ago she would happily jump into his arms for returning safely. Sadly she was in no condition for that. Forcing a smile she welcomed the boy back home. "Welcome home Naruto-kun..." She barely managed to force those words out before she went into a coughing fit.

Naruto guided his hands to her trying to comfort her but she waved him off.

Maki recovered and continued. "Forgive me Naruto-kun. I couldn't save Chi like I promised you..." Tears began to stream down her pale face. "Forgive me for not being a better sensei. Forgive me for everything..." Tears now flowed freely at the realization of not being there to see him grow and be a part of his life like she dreamed.

Naruto's chest felt extremely heavy at the image of a dying Maki. "Who did this Maki-chan? Who caused you this pain! His sharingan activated instantly and spun wildly as if trying to break free from this terrible nightmare he was in. If only that were true.

Maki was shocked to see him with the sharingan. She wondered how he got them but knew that she had a responsibility on answering his question. "Don't let revenge consume your life Naruto-kun."

Naruto's relentless gaze did not wane. With tears of his own forming in the corner of his eyes he asked her once again. **"Who did this to you Maki! **His voice distorted and unnaturally dark. His entire body was enveloped by a veil of lightning but this time it was blood red.

Maki hanged her head as the tears dropped into her bed forming wet spots. She shook her head as her voice cracked. "I-I d-don't know. There was too many of them!"

Naruto was desperate at this point. He stood even closer and shouted for some answers. "What did they look like Maki-chan!? I need to know!

Maki grabbed his cheeks which did not shock her and pulled him in for a short kiss. Smiling she spoke. "For the longest time I dreamed about doing that. I feel at peace now. My only regret is not seeing you grow up and grow stronger. But I want you to know something Naruto. Chi and I both loved you..."

Her hands fell from his face as her eyes shut close. Her breathing slowly stopped and the machines went off with the familiar sound of someones death.

Naruto's hand unconsciously rested on top of her breast as he desperately poured lightning into it in hopes she would come back to him. The dark room glowed blue as he tried and failed. "Wake up. Wake up." He muttered in a broken state but nothing happened. His now mature sharingan eyes did not lie and told him what he already knew. The person resting with a smile on her face was dead and nothing could bring her back.

**(Underground Base in Konoha)**

Danzo sat in his chair in the darkness. He knew that Naruto had arrived and had been told the news of her death. Although he did not plan for the small child's death but it couldn't be helped. His eyes turned as a single dark figure appeared next to him.

The shadowy figure stood in silence. The only thing that appeared visible was the glow of his golden snake like eyes. "The boy seems to be in despair. Just like we planned Danzo-san."

Danzo nodded. "Who did you send to kill them?

The shadowy figure smirked. "Nobodies. The girl was weak."

Danzo asked. "What did you do to the killers?

The shadowy figured quickly answered. "They have been disposed of. No one will figure out who the person behind really was."

Danzo nodded and stood up from his chair. "Do you think this will be enough to make him join you?

The shadowy figured shook his head. "No. This is just a stepping stone for the boy to give in to his inner darkness. Don't worry though. Measures have already been put in place." He darkly chuckled and vanished leaving the old war hawk behind.

Danzo gazed at the spot where his guest had been standing. "Fu. Did you need something."

Another figure identified as Fu appeared before kneeling before his master. "Can we trust him Danzo-sama?

Danzo looked at his trusted subordinate. "For now."

**Authors Note: And scene. Well that was tough to write but it needed to be done. I know some of you will be disappointed that i did not change this but it had to be done. I know it was short but this was the perfect place to cut it. Please look forward to the next chapter. Until next time BlackCrow Out!**


	15. Agony

_**Authors Note: Welcome once again to another chapter of my story. I hope you and enjoy and review. Until next time. **_

**Agony**

___Later that night..._

**(Naruto's Bedroom)**

The cold breeze of the night flew through the quiet village of Konoha. The place where a great tragedy had occurred just a couple of hours ago. This day would be always ingrained into the mind of a certain blond boy. His world had been turned upside down and the desperation was quickly hitting a breaking point. He had lost what he considered his only family. In one night those vicious monsters had taken everything from him and more. Even worse...this was all his fault to begin with. He knew that people were after Maki right from the start. In his mind he thought that killing those people that fateful night would be enough to keep them away. He was naive in thinking that.

Questions swirled around his head the entire night. Why did this have to happen to innocent good people? Who could be capable of killing an innocent child in cold blood? All these questions were unanswered and this only amplified his anger. Even with all his power he could do nothing right now. He felt weak and pathetic. He failed to protect the only people he considered family. This world is cruel and only now did he realize it more than ever before.

He sat in the darkest corner of the room. His fully evolved sharingan eyes glowed coldly in the darkness. Devoid of any emotion and his heart shattered. His body was but a mere husk of what it once was. This event could not have come at a worst time. The only thing left was revenge. His cold sharingan eyes drifted to the front door where the realization of his situation made him fully understand what pain really was.

___Several hours ago..._

**(Village Streets)**

Naruto trudged through the empty streets heading for his home. His heart was broken and his purpose was questioned. The happiness he had felt in this village had been savagely ripped away from him in a matter of moments. His only family had been murdered and knowing it was his fault only made it worse. He should have been the victim in this tragedy not them. They were innocent victims who had been stripped away of their life because of his carelessness. He should have investigated the people that came to him that fateful night. Instead he killed them without a second thought. That was his mistake. Maybe then his friends would still be alive. Now he was only left with an overwhelming desire to kill anyone who was involved with their deaths. No matter how small...he would kill them all. At the end of the day they are the ones who are going to be screaming for their miserable lives and begging him for even a shred of mercy.

The only problem with this whole thing was the lack of information regarding the killers. Maki did not answer the question he most needed. However, he knew that they were hiding somewhere here. Those men who had attacked him that fateful night wore similar clothing to Konoha anbu. Albeit it was slightly different but the similarity was there. His feet came to a stop as his empty eyes gazed at the huge apartment complex that was his home. Standing here only brought more painful memories.

"_You were right big brother! Your house isn't so scary once the sun is up." _

He would never forget her innocent smile as she said those words. That pure smile would surely haunt him for years to come. She would always be trying to make him smile or laugh. He would never see her innocent smile again. He made his way up the stairs towards his room. His face darkened at the scene before him. His entire living room was decorated to the brim with welcome home banners and ribbons everywhere. The next thing he knew he was face first in the floor sobbing uncontrollably. No matter what he tried his tears would not stop. This world is truly cruel...

___Present time..._

**(Naruto's Bedroom)**

The only thought in his mind was revenge. He wasn't naive to think that he could take on all the people responsible. He needed to get stronger and for that he needed to begin his training with Itachi as soon as possible. There was only one problem with his plan. He did not know where his sensei was since departing with him a couple days ago. Still it didn't change the fact that he needed to get stronger and make sure this never happened again. First thing tomorrow he needed to see the old man and ask him where Itachi was. He would not fail to get the information he required.

___1 day later..._

**(Village Streets)**

Naruto stood at the base of the stairs as the gleam of the morning sun enveloped the village. It was very early so he knew most of the people of this village were still asleep. This was the perfect time to ask the old man some much needed questions. Putting both hands inside his pants pockets he began his walk to the Hokage's tower. He had been gone from the village for a month but to him it seemed like he had never even left. His eyes spotted the sight of a child holding hands with her mother. They both had serene smiles clearly enjoying the morning sun together. His fist tightened inside his pocket as he once again was forced to accept the fact that he would never feel Chi's warmth in his hand.

His eyes shifted upwards as he took in the sight of the large Hokage Mansion ahead of him. The memory of him standing here flooded him. In the past he was looking for a sensei. This time he needed answers. His lifeless blue eyes lingered on the Hokage Mountains for a bit before he made his way up the stairs. His eyes once again met the woman that had denied him an audience with the Hokage months ago. Standing right in front of her desk his cold voice snapped her from her work. "I need to speak with the Hokage immediately."

The woman fought the urge from jumping in fright clearly not expecting someone being there. She quickly fixed her glasses and regained her composure. "I-I'm sorry Naruto-san. He is very busy right now with someone. Come back in a few hours and I'm sure he'll take you in."

Naruto's eyes slowly morphed into the sharingan and once again spoke evenly to the secretary. "Let me see him."

Her eyes quickly lost their light and guided the boy inside the Hokage's office. Her lifeless eyes focused on both Kakashi and Sarutobi. "Excuse me Hokage-sama. I bring you Naruto-sama."

Both of them narrowed their eyes at the way she said his name. Sarutobi's eyes rested on Naruto's own and wondered how he had persuaded his secretary to let him in. Even though he had specifically told her to forbid anyone from entering.

Naruto saw the Hokage offer him a seat but he swiftly denied it. His cold blue eyes focused on the Hokage's own. With a tone filled with coldness he began. "You know why I'm here Hokage-sama. Tell me what you know."

Sarutobi's expression hardened at the sight of the once joyful Naruto. He seemed even colder than before and he couldn't blame him. His only friends had just been murdered the same night he had returned from his mission. That situation was not something that you recover from in just a day. Grabbing his pipe he inhaled the sweet smoke and exhaled. "What is it you want Naruto-kun?

Naruto's eyes narrowed at his oblivious nature. "Cut the bullshit Hokage-sama. You know exactly why I'm here. Tell me the ones responsible for my friends deaths."

The other man standing in the room warned the boy. "Calm down Naruto-kun. Your anger is clouding your judgment right now." His one eye remained impassive as he watched the boy's focus shift to him.

"Don't involve yourself in matters that don't even concern you Kakashi. So just be silent like a good little subordinate you are and let the big boy's talk."

Kakashi was unfazed by his words. His abundance of experience told him that the boy was hiding something from them. The way he just walked in here even though the secretary was told specifically not to was to suspicious to ignore. This could only be the result of genjutsu but how did he learn it. Another thing was how he was able to even utilize it with the amount of chakra he had. It seemed impossible but the proof was right in front of him.

Sarutobi cleared his throat effectively breaking the tension in the room. With another puff of his pipe he continued. "Settle down Naruto. I understand you're upset and want answers but you must not involve yourself in matters that are being handled by professionals."

His words went right through the boy's ears. "Where did Itachi go Hokage-sama?

The Hokage's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Itachi. "He has important business to attend to Naruto-kun. Your training will have to wait a while."

Naruto remained calm at the mention of his training with Itachi. "I shouldn't be surprised that you know about that." He turned around and headed towards the exit seeing his business was done for now. Waving his hand in a lazy manner he said his goodbyes. "You better have some answers for me soon old man. Kakashi."

The Jounin turned his gaze to the boy at the mention of his name. "What is it?

"Maybe some day you can show me how you use that sharingan of yours. You must be a master with it by now." Naruto smirked to himself at the look of shock on the Jounin's face clearly not expecting a mere genin knowing about his hidden sharingan.

Just before he left, Sarutobi retrieved a small letter from his desk and offered it to Naruto. "Take this. I wouldn't want you to miss your friends funeral Naruto-kun." His tone seemed to be laced with a bit of sarcasm to the boy's ears.

His previous smirk turned into a grim frown. While still facing the door his sharingan flared awake at the emotion he was feeling. The ground around him began to freeze over as his grip over the door knob tightened. "There's no need for an invitation. I am going to attend no matter what. They deserve that much." His tone was filled with darkness as the ice around him began to recede into him. Loosening his grip he turned the knob and exited the office.

Kakashi's eyes drifted back to Sarutobi's. "Did you mention it to him about my sharingan Hokage-sama?

Sarutobi put his elbows on the desk and interlocked his fingers. Looking seriously at Kakashi he answered. "I never mentioned it to him before. He must have gotten it from Itachi or someone else."

Kakashi nodded with his assumption for now. "Hokage-sama. Is it really wise to let him be trained by Itachi-san? I still can't believe he agreed to take him under his wing so easily." His eyes turned back to the spot where the boy was just moments before. "Since when was Naruto-kun this cold to us anyways?

Sarutobi continued watching the door as Kakashi's questions swirled in his mind. "Itachi seems to believe that Naruto-kun has an enormous amount of potential. And he wants to be the one to unlock it." He grabbed his pipe and took another puff from it before exhaling loudly. "Naruto-kun is not the same boy as before Kakashi-kun. This tragedy has only worsened him."

Kakashi's aloof expression hardened a bit at the ambiguous explanation. "Did you figure out who killed the girls Hokage-sama?

Sarutobi sat up and walked to the large windows that overlooked the entire village. "We have no solid proof but personally. I believe that Danzo had a hand in their murders. He has always worked in the dark and like Itachi. He sees potential in the boy as well." Sarutobi went silent for a moment before he continued. "The only thing that worries me is what's going on in Naruto-kun's mind. Revenge is clearly a major emotion he is feeling. Darkness is filling his heart with every passing moment. He wants to know who did it and will undoubtedly kill them if he knew. He must not find out that Danzo might have had a hand in it."

___1 weeks later..._

**(Konoha Cemetery)**

Naruto solemnly walked down an empty street as he headed into the cemetery to pay his respects to his deceased friends. It had been an entire week and still he had yet to make contact with his sensei to begin training. His doubts of ever starting grew every day. He didn't know what his training would entail or how long it would be. These doubts swirled in his mind but his mourning of the precious people that were taken from him would not be disturbed. As he passed through the entrance he was surprised at the amount of people who had actually shown up to mourn. He was happy that they had these many people that cared for them but not all were there to mourn. He heard many of Uchiha's snickering that it was for the best that she had died. He wanted nothing more than to beat the shit out of them right then and now but he knew it was not the time or place for that.

He took his place beside some blond folks that looked to be in great pain over their deaths. He doubted they had any sort of connection with them but nevertheless they weeped. His eyes focused on their blond daughter who was just gazing at their closed caskets while tears poured down her face. He knew exactly who this girl was. He had seen her inside a flower shop months ago. He did not know what her name was but the image of her crying for people she didn't even know made him realize that not all of Konoha's population were monsters. He felt a sudden urge to comfort her but decided against it. He noticed her mother smile at him when she noticed his concern for her daughter. It reminded him of the many smiles that Maki and Chi had given him. Seeing that brought him extreme sorrow but no matter how depressed he got he would not shed any tears today. His tears would not bring them back.

It was his turn to place a rose on their caskets. As he placed a single white rose his eyes lingered on the picture that displayed both of them. Before he left he said his final goodbyes to his friends. "Maki-chan, Chi-chan. Forgive me for not being there to protect you both. Not being there is my greatest regret but I just hope that you two are happier wherever you are. Wait for me..." He walked back to his spot and zoned out the Hokage's speech. He felt the people begin to depart the area signifying the conclusion of the funeral. He stood frozen, his vision never leaving the tombs.

Mio and her family saw the boy watch the headstones as if he knew them on a more personal level than the rest of them. Being the curious woman that she was she asked the boy a question. "I can see you deeply cared for them. May I ask for your name?

Naruto's attention slowly drifted to the woman's. "Naruto." His tone was lifeless and empty.

Both Inoichi and Mio were surprised at the mention of his name. Even though they managed to control it. The same didn't go with the blond headed girl standing right beside her mother. "W-what do you mean you're Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun was never this tall?! She gawked at the handsome boy ahead of her. She remembered seeing him months ago and was sure he was never this tall.

Mio managed to settle down her daughter as her eyes settled once again on the blond boy. "Sorry about that Naruto-san. Let me introduce us. I am Mio Yamanaka. This here is my husband Inoichi Yamanaka. Finally this is my daughter Ino Yamanaka." She gave the stoic boy a gentle smile as she introduced her family. Her expression hardened. "Did you know these girls Naruto-san?

Naruto's attention turned back to the grave sites. "...They were my family Mio-san."

Ino saw the boy begin to walk away. She felt a deep ache in her heart seeing him in so much pain. She desperately wanted to comfort him but she knew almost next to nothing of her crush. With that fact she had no choice but to let the boy fend this tragedy on his own. "Never again..." She whispered as his figure disappeared.

___3 hours later..._

**(Hokage Mountains) **

Naruto dangled his feet over the stone carved face of his father. His eyes gazed at the village below him. At that moment he felt a familiar presence behind him. "You finally decide to show yourself...Itachi-sensei."

Itachi caught the coldness of his words and knew what the boy was going through. "It's time to begin your training Naruto-kun. I need to prepare you for the hardships that will undoubtedly come."

Naruto remained silent. His eyes focused on the academy below him. "How long will our training take Itachi-sensei? You know I have to enter the academy eventually."

Itachi nodded. "Do not concern yourself with that. I'll make sure to bring you before it ends." His expression morphed into one of extreme seriousness. "Tell me something Naruto-kun. What would you do if I told you the ones responsible for your friends deaths?

Naruto quickly appeared in front of Itachi revealing his fully mature sharingan to him for the first time. "What do you know! He growled desperately wanting to know the people behind his friends deaths.

Itachi gazed at his students eyes and frowned knowing exactly how his eyes had evolved. "Even if I tell you Naruto-kun...you are no match for them. No matter how strong you think you are. Your strength is nothing compared to theirs."

Naruto's fists tightened as an ominous aura began to envelop him. The rocks around him began to levitate as his power was quickly increasing. **"Then teach me! **

Itachi's own sharingan activated. "Let's begin."

With those two words said both of them vanished from sight. Itachi in a flock of crows and Naruto in a bright red flash. The training for Naruto had officially begun.

******Authors Note: And scene. After this chapter there will be a time skip and will finally begin with some of canon material. Hope you enjoyed and as always if you have any questions feel free to pm me or leave a review. I always write back. Until next time Black Crow Out! **


	16. Two Years

_**Authors Note: Welcome once again to another chapter of my story. Hope you enjoy and review. Until next time.**_

**Two Years**

___Two years later..._

**(Hokage Mountains)**

A young man could be seen sitting on top the enormous stone carving of the Yondaime Hokage. His eyes focused on the peaceful village below him. A gentle cool wind breezed through his golden locks. His outfit was almost entirely black consisting of a jet black vest and jet black cargo pants with black steeled boots. This young man's identity was none other than Uzumaki Naruto. He had spent these past two years training fiercely with the man known around the world for killing his entire clan. Itachi Uchiha. Konoha was not the same peaceful village it once was. Gone were the powerful clan of the Uchiha. All of them killed by his sensei in cold blood. Except for one. His little brother Sasuke Uchiha.

Most of the people in Konoha believed that he had done it out of blood lust. They thought that he killed his entire clansmen just for the sake of being the only one left. Of course there was always a reason behind his actions and only the most powerful in the village knew the real reason behind his betrayal. He didn't know all the details behind his motive but he knew enough to know that it wasn't out of want. He was there that fateful night where Itachi had informed him on what exactly he would be doing that night. He warned him of the events that would come in the future and they involved him.

___Flashback..._

**(Konoha Cemetery)**

Naruto gazed at the grave markers with a sorrowful expression. In the past year he had come to the cemetery to remind himself of what all this was about. What he needed to do in order for his friends to rest in peace. Over the past two years he had gotten much stronger and learned a lot from his teacher Itachi. No matter how strong he became the idea that it could all be over in an instant was strong in his mind. Death for shinobi was never too far.

His slim fingers gently brushed over the small letters that were engraved into the concrete tombstone. His head slowly turned back as he felt a familiar chakra coming his way. Retracting his hand from the tombstone he whispered. "Forgive me but I must once again depart. I promise...I will set you free."His head looked upwards as he gently closed his eyes as the gentle breeze of the night flew through the desolate graves. His eyes slowly opened revealing the ever familiar sharingan that this village prided itself on. "If only they knew..." With that said he disappeared into the night leaving no trace he was even there to begin with.

As he jumped from tree to tree his mind recalled what Itachi had told him. It was only a month ago that he had warned him of what he needed to do in order for Konoha to remain peaceful. The Uchiha clan was steadily growing more frustrated with the way the village was being run. It was inevitable that they would rebel against the leaf. Itachi was against this form of control knowing it would only lead to the possible destruction of the village they had created generations ago. However his concerns did not hold any power considering it was his father that lead the coup. From this point on he knew that the only way to save this village was to take matters into his own hands. This entailed killing his entire clan preventing the Uchiha Rebellion from ever happening.

The only one left would be his baby brother Sasuke which no matter how hard he tried to kill his emotions he just couldn't kill him. This tragic day known as the Uchiha Massacre was only but moments away. He would be one of the few witnesses of the bloodbath that his sensei was about to create. With a silent thud he landed in a thick patch of grass and waited for his sensei to arrive. Only moments later did he feel his sensei behind him. Turning his head he was greeted with Itachi who was wearing a full anbu uniform. His eyes widened slightly in the difference of his eyes. He remembered Itachi mentioning that there were higher levels that the sharingan could achieve. What exactly those requirements were was beyond him. No matter how much he asked, Itachi would not tell him.

Naruto's calm eyes lingered on his sensei's own and began the conversation. "Those eyes... You were finally able to awaken them." His eyes narrowed slightly and blocked a powerful kick from his sensei. He quickly jumped back and supercharged himself with lightning before striking. His attack had successfully hit his body but he knew immediately it was a genjutsu. He was right as the person he had struck burst into a flock of crows. Turning his head behind him he saw his sensei preparing his signature jutsu with unparalleled efficiency. Immediately he started copying his exact had movements as they shouted in unison.

"_**Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique! **_

Two enormous fireballs spewed from their mouths and collided against each other with seemingly similar strength. This equality did not last as Itachi's own fireball completely engulfed his own.

Naruto remained calm as the giant fireball headed straight for him with blazing speed. Tightening his fists he exploded with lightning. His entire body sparked as the ground below him was quickly being destroyed. Over the two years he had mastered the power his mother had given him. He was able to utilize it in many different ways now and his lightning armor was no different.

Itachi watched the fireball hit his student with a glorious impact but as predicted he was completely unscathed. As the smoke dissipated he noticed his student had vanished. Instinctively his head cocked slightly to the left as Naruto's punch missed. He grabbed his outstretched arm and tossed him over his shoulder. He quickly jumped away as Naruto's unrelenting assault continued.

Naruto delivered another fully powered punch which landed straight in the ground completely missing his target. The ground exploded from the lightning that was being pumped into it. Pulling his hand from the ground he smirked. "Like always Itachi-sensei. You're just too fast." Even though he had gotten significantly stronger and faster during his training so had Itachi. Letting out a breath his lightning shield vanished as his own breath began to freeze.

Itachi knew what was coming next. Even though his students main power was lightning he had another one that was equally dangerous. Even more so if he was honest with himself. Itachi could see his own breath begin to freeze over as the ground around him succumbed to the freezing temperatures. Itachi knew he needed to stop him before it was too late.

Naruto smirked seeing him bolting for him but it was too late. With a wave of his hand the bottom half of his sensei had completely frozen over. His control over ice was frightening. That was something Itachi could vouch for personally. He had been frozen so many times over the course of two years that it was ridiculous. Naruto could see his sensei waiting for him to release him. He knew he could escape if he wanted to but this was just a spar after all. Placing his palm onto the chilling ice it quickly receded back into his body leaving a numbed Itachi who managed to stay on his feet. "Have I become stronger Itachi-sensei?

Itachi looked over his student and nodded. "In time you might even surpass me Naruto-kun." His eyes slowly morphed into the Magenkyou.

"_**Tsukuyomi." **_

With that single phrase Naruto was now trapped inside a powerful genjutsu. In this world he made the rules. He controlled who lived or died. Whoever who was unfortunate enough to enter this world was doomed to suffer incomparable pain.

**(Inside Tsukuyomi)**

Naruto looked all around him and was only greeted with an empty world. He knew this was a genjutsu but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't break it meaning only one thing. This had come from those new eyes his sensei wielded. It seemed like he had wandered the empty world for hours before Itachi had decided to appear. In reality it had only been a couple seconds.

"As you have already experienced. This genjutsu is unbreakable. Only I can control what happens in this world. Only those with the Magenkyou are able to use this powerful illusion."

Naruto had already guessed that by now but hearing it from him was definite proof. "Why did you bring me here then Itachi-sensei?

Itachi remained silent for a while. His magnificent and deadly Magenkyou focused directly on his students own sharingan eyes. "After today I will be marked a traitor...a missing-nin. A group named Akatsuki will be my new home. ...These people are incredibly powerful Naruto-kun. Their only purpose is the capture of all tailed beast...including you. They still require some time before they actively hunt you down so in the meantime. Promise me you will get much stronger. Or all of your promises will be empty...like before."

Naruto's eyes hardened at the mention of promises. All this information was incredibly new and hard to believe but he trusted his sensei. Even though Itachi wouldn't be there. He would still aim to be the strongest. His warning only added fuel to the fire. "Don't worry Itachi-sensei. After all I was trained by the best right."

Itachi's mouth turned into a very small smile at seeing his student be so confident. Closing his eyes the world around them began to fade away until they both stood in the same grassy spot from before. As he walked away he stopped one last time and offered his only student some last words of advise. "Naruto-kun. I know you are incredibly strong for someone so young. I know you believe that you are nigh unstoppable. Maybe its true but never forget this. There will always be people who are willing to lend a helping hand. No matter how small it is...take it. Friends are the only things that will keep you going." His mind flooded with images of his best friend Shisui before killing all remaining emotions for the tragedy that was about to unfold.

___Flashback End..._

**(Hokage Mountains)**

Honestly he did not know if he would ever see his sensei again. He was now an infamous missing-nin, responsible for single highhandedly killing his entire clan. Like Itachi had promised two years ago he came through and told him what he knew about his friends murderers. Even though he knew exactly who they were it was too late. Danzo had long since disappeared from the village. With him went almost all of his loyal subordinates codenamed Root. The other culprit was still a mystery but it was only a matter of time before he found out and extracted his revenge. Standing up he slowly made his way to the stairs.

___One day later..._

**(Hokage Mansion)**

Naruto was standing face to face with the same woman that had stopped him so many times years ago. His expressionless eyes searched her own as he tried to figure out why she had stopped him once more.

The Hokage's secretary wasn't picked just for being a beauty. No. She had to be strong and wise as well. But even though she had dealt with so many scary individual's, something about the boy standing in front of her gave her utter fear. It was apparent in her voice which failed miserably to contain her fright. "I-I-I'm sorry N-Naruto-san but the Hokage is incredibly busy right now and doesn't h-have time to see you right now..." The beautiful secretary tried her damnedest to maintain some kind of cool but it was beyond her at this point. Something about his eyes screamed death.

Naruto wasn't a virgin in this regard. He had been stopped so many times so this wasn't any different. Just like two years ago he once again put the secretary into a genjutsu which immediately took effect.

The woman's eyes grew blank as she stood up and escorted the bored looking boy into the Hokage's office. Waving him in she introduced themselves. "Hokage-sama, I bring you Naruto-sama." The woman's tone quickly gave away that she wasn't in control of her body.

Sarutobi quickly excused his secretary not even questioning her bizarre actions. This had happened several times in the past two years when both Itachi and Naruto would come to report on their training. Itachi's reports were always on time but also incredibly vague. He knew something was happening behind the scenes. The way the secretary would always introduce Naruto with the suffix sama was a dead give away. His hardened eyes focused on Naruto's form. Over the past two years he had remained the same in terms of height being about five foot four. The medic mentioned that it was partly due to the early growth spurt which made sense. His body might have not grown in stature but his body had leaned out significantly. To his eyes the boy standing right in front of him looked almost like a mini Itachi.

He could see hatred in the boy's eyes directed at him. Naruto knew that he had withhold information pertaining to both Maki and Chi from him. Danzo fleeing the village only made things worse. His disappearance was not completely unforeseen. But Danzo was always a cunning man. It didn't take long before the man he had known since childhood had vanished without a trace. He just couldn't see him leaving the village that he loved so much just because he was accused of having a hand in the girls death. No. Something else was at play that was far larger than him. Now his old friend was listed in the Bingo Book as an S-rank missing-nin with a one million bounty on his head.

Disregarding those grim thoughts he reached into his desk and retrieved a small scroll before tossing it to him. "You'll need this to graduate the academy Naruto-kun. Not much is left before the current group graduates but don't worry. The arrangements for your arrival have been handled."

Naruto easily caught the scroll before putting it away on his body.

Sarutobi intertwined his aging fingers and looked at the stoic boy with a serious expression. "Naruto-kun...I know you've experienced many hardships. I know the easy path is to get revenge but I warn you. This dark path your treading will only lead to more misery. You must overcome the darkness that plagues your heart and become stronger. This hatred will only consume you like many others."

Naruto turned around and walked to the exit. Gripping the door knob his sharingan activated as he looked down in sorrow. "It's too late for me Hokage-sama. My friends deserve peace..."

Sarutobi watched the once joyful boy exit his office. His heavy words lingered making him sigh in frustration. These words he was spouting were much too dark for someone so young. He was worried just how warped his mind had gotten over the past two years he had trained with the missing-nin. "Itachi...just what did you teach him?

**(Konoha Academy)**

Naruto was headed to the designated room that the scroll had mentioned. He was ready to begin the grind of being a shinobi and climb the ranks. Over the two years he had gained another goal. He wanted to change how the villages treated people who had no family or backgrounds whatsoever. Hundreds of children were currently alone and needed help. They prayed every night that someone would show a shred of mercy and lend a small hand. However, in this day and age, kindness was something of a rarity. He desperately wanted to become someone they can see as a friend and savior. Those goals right now were a far cry right now. But sooner or later he wanted to make that a reality.

**Authors Note: And scene. Well I know its short but I do hope you enjoyed nonetheless. I promise the next one will be longer so please look forward to it. As always if you have any questions please tell me and I will answer you. Until next time BlackCrow Out!**


End file.
